Frontier Dreaming
by Robrafgon
Summary: The Lone Wanderer thought her life was over, but now there's a Courier telling her she's got family in the Mojave? He's saved her life and she's decided to follow him back across the country to find her family. Will they even want her? Can she learn to wash away the blood covering her hands? And just who is the Courier? Sequel to Shattered Illusions.
1. From The Brink

_Warning: if you haven't read Shattered Illusions turn back now. This is a sequel. And as sequels are wont to do, it is full of spoilers for part 1. Go read part 1 and then report back. If you've already read part 1 then welcome back! Read, review, and enjoy. Seriously though, drop a review, it's helpful to hear what you guys have to say._

April 19, 2280

14:30

Staunton, Virginia

Along the I-70

"Knox... KNOX!"

The Courier stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose. A nose that until several days ago had only been broken twice, but had now been broken four times. Once when he'd tried to collect his current package, she'd pistol whipped him and another when she'd kicked him in the face when he'd made the mistake of trying to wake her up by grabbing her foot.

The girl in question stood behind him with her arms crossed, a duffel bag and assault rifle slung across her back. She was wearing a battered set of leather armor that looked like it was about to simply fall apart. The knees were torn open and bullet holes riddled one of the sides.

Her skin was covered in dirt and grime, but was naturally dark beneath it all. Her hair was pulled lazily into a ponytail at the back of her head and was sticking out at odd angles. It's once violent scarlet color was beginning to fade to a more moderate pink. Far less aggressive in Knox's opinion.

"Yes, Ava, what is it?"

Ava scuffed her boot along the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust. "Are you still pissed because I kicked you in the face?"

"I don't know. Is that still my blood on your boot?" he replied mock irritably.

She stopped kicking the ground. "Well maybe if you hadn't grabbed my leg like you were attacking me, then your blood wouldn't be all over my boot!"

Knox smiled sardonically at her as she got defensive. "How is it that you make it sound like my blood's fault for being on your boot?" He kept walking, not even to check and see if Ava was following.

She was.

The Courier's nose had been broken when he had woken Ava shortly before dawn several days previously. His reasoning was that too many people wanted the Lone Wanderer dead for Ava to spend any more time in the Capital Wasteland than absolutely necessary. So he'd _tried_ to wake her up early so they could move out under the cover of night. However, that hadn't exactly gone according to plan. She hadn't taken kindly to being woken up that way.

"And I didn't grab you like I was attacking you. I tapped your foot. Lightly. I think that's a perfectly acceptable way to wake a lady in the morning."

Ava sped up her pace to walk next to Knox. As interesting as it was to talk to the back of his head, single file was getting boring and she was craving conversation.

"How many 'ladies' have you woken up that way?" she asked, fingers miming quotes. Knox frowned thoughtfully and bobbed his head to the side.

"Fair point. I wouldn't classify them as 'ladies' technically. Female for sure though. At least I think." Knox raised an eyebrow until it disappeared under his cowboy hat's brim and smirked at her.

She shook her head in irritation and said, "gross," in mild disgust. Followed shortly by "pig."

Knox acted mock indignant. "You know, just because you have some sort of weird hatred for sex, which admittedly for you makes a lot of sense, but still," he said, trying to get back to the point. "For the rest of us, it's a welcome reprieve from a hard day's work and a reminder that there can be safety in another person's arms for those of us that have lost faith in humanity."

"Moron."

Knox's performance had fallen flat for Ava and she wasn't buying it. He was such a weirdo sometimes! However, Ava still enjoyed his company immensely. Maybe it was because she had spent so long alone, or maybe it was because she genuinely liked him. Despite the multitude of eccentricities she was discovering that he possessed, Ava had realized that Knox was an honest man. He treated her fairly, which was more than most people had ever done for her, and he seemed to be a good man. He was also a more than capable combatant. The light armor he wore over his khakis and short sleeve, tan, button up shirt was not for show. Neither were the pistols he wielded. There was a reason he'd cut the trigger fingers off his gloves. While she thought the man couldn't fight close quarters for shit, he was certainly the best shot she'd ever seen. And she was no slouch herself.

As they'd traveled she'd also begun to learn that he was quite smart. Not science smart, or medical smart like she was, but smart in other ways. He was a gifted tracker and hunter and goddamn it, despite rambling like an incoherent maniac at times, Knox could talk the armor off a paladin if he were so inclined and the paladin would think it was their idea!

The two continued to walk under the bright sun in silence for several more minutes until Ava couldn't take it anymore.

"Aargh! Come on! I can't keep walking in silence. I can't do it, Knox. I _won't_ do it."

Knox laughed at her. "Well if you'd like I can continue describing my sexscapades throughout the Wasteland," he teased her. Ava rolled her eyes in defeat.

"Anything is better than silence. Seriously."

"Well, I was kidding," Knox said. "I'm not gonna describe my sex life to some kid. I think that qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment. And teenagers are supposed to discover that shit out on their own, right?"

Ava looked at him. "How old do you think I am?" she asked. Knox gave his battered watch a glance before responding. "You turn twenty in seven days."

She stopped and looked at him in shock. "How the fuck do you know that?" she asked. Her frown had deepened from annoyance to angry surprise. Knox was unimpressed and kept walking.

"I've been tracking you for over a year. I learned a little about you in that time."

"A little about someone is how tall they are, hair color, weight, skin color, guns or knives, um..." Ava listed as she caught back up to him again.

"Boxers or briefs?" Knox suggested. She slugged him in the arm, but he shrugged it off. "Look, Ava. I was hired to find your dad and mom, not you. So when I found out about you I did some research. I got hired by your grandfather to find his family, you qualified, but well... to be honest, the trail you were leaving did not give me a lot of hope for finding someone to take back to him."

Ava looked down in shame. She was well aware of the trail of carnage and death that had been left in the wake of her passing. Knox slapped her on the back, her hand twitched towards her knife, but she restrained herself from acting on impulse. She looked up at Knox. His smile had disappeared.

"Ava. You've got to stop thinking about everything that happened the last month. I may not have been there, but from what I've seen and what you've told me, you weren't you. Stop beating yourself up."

Ava took a deep breath before managing to say, "It was me."

"Ava-"

"No, Knox. Listen. It was me. It was _all_ me. I know that. But I'm better now. I'm going to _be _better now."

A small smile returned to the Courier's face, one that Ava returned. "It's good to hear that." They stood in silence for a few moments until Knox spun around on his heel. "Now come on! We've been standing around too long!" He took off walking again.

Ava continued after him still smiling, but she wasn't about to return to silence. "Can we please talk about something at least? I don't know how you travel all over the place alone. The quiet is too much."

"Coming from someone who had voices in their head? Thought you'd want some quiet," Knox smirked. His smirk disappeared when he caught the scowl on her face. "Alright. Insanity is an off limits topic. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know! Anything," she answered in exasperation.

Knox gave a few moments thought. "Want to talk about a point where your life didn't suck? I mean it went to shit, but it wasn't always like that, right?"

"Let's not talk about me," Ava said hurriedly. She was afraid her new grasp on sanity might not last if she thought to much on her past life which, as Knox said, had gone to shit.

Knox raised his eyebrows and looked at her sideways. He gave a tug on his mustache and said, "So, anything is apparently not anything."

"It was an exaggeration, Knox."

"So, it was, Ava."

The duo continued under the sun in silence for another minute until Ava broke it again. She skipped forward half a step and turned to face Knox, almost tripping on an old car tire sitting on the road.

"You could tell me something about you," she suggested in earnest.

"Oho! So, we can't talk about you," he replied, "but we can talk about me, is that right?"

She narrowed her gaze on him. "Yeah, Knox. That's right." She glared at him for a few more moments. "Spill."

"Well, shit. I mean where do I start? There's so much to tell. Can you narrow the field down for me a bit?"

"You know how old I am, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

"Bull shit."

"Twenty-five."

"Are you just going to spit out numbers?"

"Twenty-eight," Knox replied with a chuckle. "I really am twenty-eight."

Ava looked at him suspiciously. "And I'm just supposed to take your word for it?"

He shrugged and Ava groaned in frustration. Knox may have been one of the nicer people she'd met in her time in the Wasteland, but he was infuriating sometimes.

"All right, you secretive bastard, fine! Don't tell me about yourself. I just think our relationship is a little imbalanced is all. I mean I know your name (first or last, I'm not sure), I know you're a courier, and I know... oh right. That's it!"

Knox was chuckling as the girl continued to rage at him.

"Meanwhile, you apparently know everything about me! You probably even know my- mmph!"

Knox put a gloved hand over her mouth. "Hey, hey, cool it. We can have a normal conversation." Ava slapped his hand away and glared at him resentfully. She was strongly considering decking him, but she already felt bad for breaking his nose twice. It might still be worth it though to go for the hat trick.

"You want to know about the family waiting for you?"

Ava's face lit up, her mental debate quickly forgotten. "Yes, tell me about them!"

"Him," Knox corrected. "Doc Mitchell, resident doctor of the town of Goodsprings." Ava stared at him expectantly, waiting for more.

"And?"

"And what?" asked Knox. "What do you want to know about him?"

"What's he like?"

"What's he like..." Knox thought aloud. "Well, he's a doctor like your dad was, guess that's how your pops got started, but Mitchell has retired for the most part. He just deals with the locals now. Works for free for town folks and in turn they keep his house in repair and his fridge full. I can see the family resemblance a little. Though you sure got your mom's skin and eyes."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I saw your dad and you sure didn't get it from him," he answered. "You want me to tell you more about the doc? Or are you gonna interrupt again?" Ava mimed zipping her lips.

"Right. So. Doc Mitchell. Town doctor, provider of medical supplies for the average traveler. He was born in Vault 21."

Ava's eyes lit up, but she kept quiet. Knox caught her look. "Yep, from what he told me he and your grandmother grew up Vault 21, but moved out into the Mojave and started a family. Family who then moved across the country."

"I-" Ava started to say, but she bit her lip. "Question?" asked Knox. Ava nodded and he waved her forward to ask.

"Did... did he tell you why my dad left?" she asked quietly.

"He did. Mitchell said it was over a, and I quote, 'stupid, little argument that got big in hurry'." Knox paused for a moment and took a swig from his canteen. He offered it to Ava, but she shook her head no. She wanted to hear more. "Your dad wanted to do more. He thought it was their duty to help as many people as possible and when Mitchell was talking about retiring he flew off the handle. Your dad wanted to save the Wasteland. Doc Mitchell was content with the way it was. James didn't like that. So he left."

Ava nodded. "That... sounds like my dad. And he did it. He saved the Capital Wasteland. How did you meet him?"

"The Doc? The way most people do. He treated me."

"What happened? Ava asked curiously. Knox waved the question away.

"Just a head injury. Nothing too interesting. Anyway, after he treated me I rolled on out of town, but a few months later I was back and he offered me the gig to find his long lost family. Which brings us to now."

"Is he nice?"

"Yes, Ava. He's nice," Knox replied with a cheeky smirk and an elbow to Ava's side. Ava was about to retaliate, but the two were interrupted by a man jumping out from behind a burned out car wreck and brandishing a shotgun at them.

"Stop right there, you two, and reach for the sky."

Knox and Ava stopped side by side in front of the bedraggled man, but neither lifted their arms. After several seconds Knox scratched his nose and Ava coughed. The lone raider waved his shotgun dramatically.

"I said raise em!"

"Or what?" asked Knox mockingly.

The raider looked taken aback. "Or... or I'll shoot you. That's what."

Knox snorted loudly. Ava looked at him in bewilderment and wondered why they hadn't already killed the clearly moronic raider.

"D-don't laugh at me. I said don't laugh!"

Knox held a finger up to silence the man as he finished laughing and wiped a tear from one eye. "Look, buddy. What've you got there? Buck shot?" The raider looked at his shotgun and tried to pretend otherwise. "Yeah, that's what I thought. This body armor," he rapped a knuckle on his chest plate, "it can stop buck shot. Trust me. And besides you could shoot me in the goddamn head with that and I'd be fine. A little scarred yeah, but certainly not mortally wounded. I'd have plenty of time to beat you to death, bury you, piss on your grave, and _then_ bandage my wound."

As Knox continued to monologue to the man he was taking steady steps forward towards him. "So do you think threatening me is a good idea?" The raider jumped as if he hadn't noticed how close Knox had gotten all of a sudden.

"I- I'll shoot the girl! She's not wearing armor!"

Knox chuckled and put his arm around the raider's shoulder. "Clearly you weren't listening. Doesn't matter if you shoot her. It won't be fatal. Painful maybe, but not fatal. She'll be fine!"

"Knox!" exclaimed Ava in irritation.

"And besides," continued Knox, holding the nervous raider close, "better men than you have tried to kill this one. And I mean a _lot_ of better men. She's still here."

The raider gulped nervously as he looked between the brooding girl and the maniacally smiling man. The shotgun clattered to the ground. "Smart move, my friend. Let's go, Ava!" Knox released the now traumatized raider and waved for Ava to follow. Ava passed the raider and made him flinch before catching up with Knox.

"Knox."

No response.

"Knox!" she repeated and called after him, "What the hell was that?"

"The hell was what?" he asked innocently.

"That! Are we seriously going to just leave him there? He tried to rob us!"

Knox looked at her dubiously. "Did you honestly feel threatened?"

"No," Ava said bluntly, "but I would have just killed him."

"Yeah, I know what you would have done, Ava, but I like to think to myself that if I have to draw my gun I didn't do my job properly."

Ava looked at him in annoyed confusion. "Your job? You're a glorified mailman. How did that have anything to do with your job?"

Knox seemed to think on that for a second. "Hm. Guess you're right. Guess it doesn't have anything to do with my job."

Ava scowled at him. He was taunting her. He'd meant something. She just didn't know what.

"Cut the crap, Knox. What was that? You talked a raider down from a robbery. What was the point?"

"Honestly, it wasn't that hard."

Ava shook her head and made a strangled, frustrated noise in her throat. "I know it wasn't that hard, but why?" she asked again.

Knox gave her a knowing and secretive smile. "It's always advantageous to be able to talk to your enemies. Sometimes you can even make them your friends. Or make them think they are." His smile changed to a cold facade of a smile. It didn't reach his eyes.

Ava stared at the man with more respect. The courier was certainly more than he seemed. Inside that head was a calculating personality. Someone most definitely not above manipulating people. Smart, a talented gunslinger, a silver tongue, and the will to use it to boot. She looked at him warily.

"So... you have a lot of experience tricking your enemies, Knox?"

"Oh certainly not," he denied. "That's something a smart person would do. I'm just a glorified mail man after all, what business do I have making enemies?"

He gave a cocky grin to her again, a grin that never failed to get under her skin, and turned and vaulted over the railing of the highway. He sailed down and landed with a roll in the dirt.

"Where are you going?"

Knox looked back up at Ava who was leaning over the railing. He pointed to the south.

"Roanoke. That's where our ride is."

"Our ride?"

"Yeah. Unless you want to walk twenty five hundred miles to Nevada."

Ava rolled her eyes at him. Clearly she wasn't getting any more answers out of him today. The man was a friggin' magic eight ball of infuriating responses. She tossed her duffel down to him and jumped off the overpass.

Oh well. At least she had time to figure out who her mystery courier was during whatever their 'ride' entailed.

Knox held her duffel out to her, but Ava brushed past him and kept walking.

"Be a gentleman and carry that for me, would you?" she said over her shoulder to him. Knox dropped his head in defeat before slinging the duffel and trudging along after her.

It was going to be a _long_ trip.

_And with that we are officially into part 2! Part 2 will be significantly shorter than part 1, but fear not! Part 3 will be written immediately after part 2 is done being posted. I don't want to make you guys wait. I have all the stories planned out, but there are natural breaking points that I just didn't feel right leaving in one fic. So I split it up. Anyway, part 2 will be featuring the Courier and the Wanderer traveling cross country together. I hope you guys like it. If you do, please, please, please, pleeeeaaassseee leave a review._


	2. Personal Growth

_So really quickly I just want to get this out of the way. I had some people asking if this story is related to New California Dreaming. It is not. In anyway. I have read New California Dreaming (great fic, I highly recommend it) and the only similarity is the titles of the two stories both have the word "dreaming" it it. This is a coincidence. A coincidence that is making me slam my head against the table in frustration. It would be my luck to name my story in a similar manner to one of the most popular Fallout fics on here. With that out of the way, I can give my usual read, enjoy, review plea. So please read, enjoy, and review._

April 20, 2280

9:00

Roanoke, Virginia

Outskirts of town

"So, Ava, I've been dying to know,"

Knox and Ava were strolling through the burned out streets of Roanoke towards the center of town. Despite not seeing anything living yet, the signs were still there. All the houses had been scavenged clean.

"The gigantic crater on the edge of DC," he continued, "that's where I lost your trail the first time. Before you... well, you know."

"Before I went completely insane and went on a killing spree through the Wasteland?"

Knox looked at her uncomfortably. Ava just stared back at him, deadpan. "Er... yeah," he said.

"What? Does what I did make you uncomfortable?"

The deadpan expression was starting to crack. Despite how tough she could be, Knox could still see the damaged girl hiding under the terrifying shell she'd crafted. "Ava... you don't have to-"

"Don't have to what?" she asked, hotly. "I can't just forget what I did, Knox! I may have been out of my mind, but it was still me. I was a total psychopath. I killed so many people," she whispered.

Knox was a tad out of sorts and awkwardly tried to pat her on the back, but she shrugged it off. "What was it you wanted to know, Knox?" she inquired, quickly changing the subject.

"The crater outside of DC, what was that?"

Ava looked at him in surprise. "You don't know?"

"No, I do. I was testing you," he replied sarcastically. "Not a lot of clues in a crater! No. I don't know."

She laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I'm not meaning to knock your impressive skills as a tracker, I just figured you would have heard about it by word of mouth." Knox shook his head no.

"I blew up an Enclave base with a satellite."

He looked at her with a stunned expression. "I'm not going to ignore what you just said, but first some clarification. I thought the Enclave base you blew up was at Raven Rock."

"It was," she explained. "They also had this massive mobile complex called the Land Crawler. It had satellite uplink capabilities that the Enclave were using to strike strategic locations in the Wasteland."

Knox watched in silent bemusement as Ava lectured to him on the strengths and weaknesses of the Land Crawler.

"I hacked their systems after fighting my way in, turned the orbital bombardment on them, and then got the hell out to watch the show." She was smiling gleefully as she recalled the carnage, but it didn't reach her eyes. They were still filled with plenty of hate directed at the Enclave. Knox noticed and attempted to steer the conversation away from the grisly topic.

"I gotta say, Ava, I've met some very intelligent people out in the Wasteland. I've certainly met with my share of mad scientists, but you! You take it to a whole different level. How do you know half the stuff you know? It's impressive, really."

She blushed and pulled a few loose strands behind her ear. "It's not that impressive," she denied, modestly. "I mean, I grew up in a Vault. There's lots of technology to use. That's actually all there is. You get pretty handy with computers. Even groups like the Brotherhood and the fucking Enclave are still using scavenged prewar systems. They've got flaws. The Land Crawler was essentially useless without its targeting systems and completely vulnerable if they were tampered with."

Knox waved a hand through the air, brushing away her line of thought. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but seriously! You've got a knack with technology. That's a valuable trait. Don't be bashful," he told her. "Be prideful in your skills."

"Thank you, Knox," she smiled. "It means a bunch to... Hang on."

"What?"

She looked at him suspiciously. "You're doing that thing."

"What thing?" he asked innocently.

"That thing you do. You're manipulating me." Knox held his hands up, palms facing her in a gesture of peace, but it did nothing to stop her. "Listen, you stupid son of a bitch! The Enclave killed my father! And a lot of other good people too! I'm _happy_ I blew them all to hell! It makes me feel _good_. So don't you try to make me forget it because _you_ don't think it's healthy!"

She glared at Knox, expecting some sort of apology, but he just chuckled at her. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

Ava continued to stare at him, but remained suspicious.

"Ava, seriously. What you were just saying, all that stuff about good people dying. You were sad about that. You felt bad. Those aren't the traits of a murderous psychopath."

"Did you miss the part where I was ecstatic about murdering the Enclave?"

Knox shrugged. "Personal growth is a process. This is progress. Be happy about that and keep moving forward."

Ava pondered this for a moment before admitting, "I suppose I am making progress. But! Don't you dare try to manipulate me anymore!"

Knox feigned ignorance at the accusation before jogging ahead of her. "We're here!" he yelled back to her.

Ava sighed in exasperation. She supposed that Knox was right, but... there were a _lot_ of bodies left behind her. And not all of them had been enemies. All she did was leave a trail of corpses. She took a deep breath. Not anymore. She could be better. She _would_ be better.

She started to jog after Knox. "Wait up!"

She caught him just as he reached the town's main square. "Welcome to Roanoke!" Knox swept his arms wide open as if he were presenting the small market to her. The square was bustling with activity as the inhabitants of the town busied themselves in their market.

A junk dealer was hawking his wares, there was a butcher offering roasted molerat, and another trying to push her fabrics on customers (who were only particularly interested in her armor). Ava stared around nervously. After spending so long away from the hustle and bustle of society, she was immensely uncomfortable being surrounded by all these people.

"Train station's over there," said Knox and vaguely gestured across the market.

"We're taking a train?" asked Ava in puzzlement.

Knox ignored her. "Get something to eat and meet me there." Knox turned away from her and started to shift through the crowd.

"Knox! Wait!" she squeaked nervously, but his cowboy hat was already disappearing through the crowd. She tried to push forward after him, but the crowd pushed back just as hard. She groaned in frustration. "Stupid jerk," she muttered.

Instead of trying to brush through the crowd after Knox, she instead tried to move around the outskirts. Each vendor she passed tried their hardest to catch her attention, but she studiously ignored them, until...

"You can't seriously be dressing in those rags. That's just anti-fabulous."

Ava was taken aback and looked at the woman leaning on her cart of clothing. She had a scarf tied around her long brown hair and was looking down her nose at Ava's ruined, leather armor.

"I- excuse me?"

The woman stepped forward with a smile. "Your jacket is literally falling apart. You need something new. Something new and wonderful and something bought from me!"

Ava listened to the woman and couldn't help, but be reminded a little of Anthony Ling, the fabulous stylist of Tenpenny Tower. "I suppose I could use something new," she admitted. "What sort of armors do you have?"

The woman narrowed her eyes at her. "I mean sure, if you want to look like another one of those Wasteland, tough-guy thugs. Yeah, I have some armor. Or. You could look like a normal human being." The woman brandished a soft, yellow, woven shirt with no sleeves at her. Ava pulled back from the aggressive shop keep.

"Er... sure. Do you have anything that's not yellow?"

The woman grabbed her arm and pulled her around her cart. The same shirt was displayed in a multitude of colors. Ava hesitantly reached for a black one, but the clerk cleared her throat unhappily. Ava moved her hand over a purple one, but the woman continued to glare.

"Would you... like to help me?"

The woman immediately perked and smiled. "Absolutely!" she cried all bubbly. "I was immediately thinking a sharp red to work with your hair, but your eyes (lovely shade of green by the way) wouldn't work with that, so now I'm thinking more of a deeper, burnt red. She held up one of her shirts in front of Ava. Ava tentatively took the shirt from her and the woman clapped her hands happily.

Ava liked the shirt, but she _was_ traveling across the Wasteland. Armor might be nice, but the woman seemed so happy to finally be selling one of her shirts. Oh well. "How much?" she asked.

"Thirty caps."

Ava nodded her head and unslung her duffel bag from her shoulder. She opened the top of it and started rummaging around in it. She pulled out a bag of caps and started counting out the bill. She slid the pile of caps over and took the shirt.

The shop keeper behind her in alarm. "Um... Some guy just nabbed your pack."

Ava whirled her head around and saw a man tearing through the crowd. She sprinted after him, knocking bystanders out of the way. The thief twisted and turned, trying to escape her, but she was locked on. He knocked a barrel of water over, trying to trip her up, but she just vaulted over it.

Looking ahead, Ava saw her chance. As the thief started to turn a corner, Ava leaped up onto a food cart and jumped over the fleeing man. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head and swung around until she was looking him in the eye. Her weight and his momentum pulled them both down to the ground. Ava landed on her chest, which hurt, but the man landed on his face, which hurt more. He clutched one hand to his broken face and another went for a knife to attack her, but she was already up and on his back. She planted one knee on his neck and the other on his shoulder blade.

He dropped the knife as soon as Ava wrenched his arm up, dislocating it at the shoulder. The man cried out in pain. Ava stared down at him with little pity, she was fully prepared to keep pulling on that arm until it came clean off, but she noticed the crowd of people gathering around.

She breathed in to calm herself and stood up off the man. No. She wasn't going to kill him. She had her stuff back, the man didn't need to die. She grabbed her pack and began to wade back through the crowd who were all too happy to part for her now. She could hear them muttering as she passed.

"What happened?" 

"She's just going to leave him?"

"What she's not gonna kill him?"

Someone called out at her, "Aren't you gonna kill him?"

Ava looked towards the voice, but whoever had spoken was hidden by the crowd.

"Why? He's not a problem to me anymore. I've got my bag and I don't think he's going to try that again." Ava looked back at the man who was still lying on the ground. "So, no. Not going to."

With a small contented smile she kept walking and left the stunned crowd behind her. She'd done it! She hadn't killed him. Even though most _normal_ people could get through a confrontation without murdering the other person, Ava was still proud. She hadn't killed a man _and_ she'd bought a new shirt. Today was turning out to be good after all.

She found Knox seated at a secluded bar, munching on a bag of dried fruit and reading from a battered book. With out looking back to see who was approaching he said, "Nice of you to join me, Ava."

She sat down on the rickety stool next to him. "How'd you know it was me?"

"I didn't. I've been saying that to everyone who walks up behind me."

She grinned. "Really."

"No," he snorted. "You're quiet, damned near silent, when you walk, but your duffel bag clanks in a particularly nerve-grating fashion that I've had a great deal of time to familiarize myself with."

"Oh."

Knox kept reading from his manuscript and Ava sat in silence next to him, but like when they were traveling on the road she had an inability to remain silent for long.

"I bought a shirt!"

Knox snapped his book shut, realizing his quiet lunch was over, and dropped it into his satchel. "Really?" he asked, feigning interest. "Let's see it."

Ava happily stood up from her chair to grab the article of clothing. She'd never really had clothes of particular interest in the Vault and out in the Wasteland there was no point in buying nice things. The closest she'd ever come to being able to shop like a normal girl was in Tenpenny Tower and that hadn't exactly turned out spectacularly. She hurriedly unzipped her jacket and threw it to the ground in the process revealing that she was only wearing a torn and ratty bra underneath.

"I did _not_ mean show me like this."

Ava rolled her eyes at the Courier and pulled the shirt over her head and smoothed out some wrinkles. She spun in a circle, modeling her purchase.

"Very nice. I like the fact that it has no blood or bullet holes in it."

Ava smiled wide. "I know, right?" she exclaimed happily. Knox's sarcasm was lost on her. She sat back down next to Knox and looked up at the barkeep who was still ogling at her.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, her voice hostile. The bartender jumped back and busied himself in his small kitchen.

Knox resumed crunching on his fruit, but managed to still say, "Wow, friendly."

"Bite me, Knox."

Knox cracked a small grin, but didn't say anything.

"Can I get some food over here," she snapped at the bartender. The already terrified man, jumped and quickly slid a plate of cooked meet in front of her.

"T-ten c-c-caps," he stuttered. Ava eyed Knox expectantly. After a moment, Knox caught the look and shook his head.

"Buy your own damn food. You bought a shirt, means you've got caps."

Ava frowned darkly before rummaging in her bag for the money. She threw the caps at the cook who retreated into the back of the bar to hide from the terrifying girl seated at it. As soon as he was gone, Ava hungrily tore into the food and sighed contentedly with the meal.

"I think you need to see a doctor," said Knox suddenly.

"For what?" asked Ava with her mouth full, spraying food all over Knox. Knox raised his eyebrows and brushed the spittle off his sleeve.

"Your emotions flip flop all over the place. It's called bipolar disorder."

Ava swallowed and laughed. "I know what bipolar disorder is, Knox. I don't have it," she said.

"You don't, do you?" Knox was skeptical to say the least. He'd seen the girl swing violently between giggling to beating a person senseless in under a minute flat.

"No, I don't," she explained to him. "I mean, yeah, I have my bouts of psychosis, but that's a personal problem, not a medical one." The explanation was meant to be reassuring, but it wasn't.

"Wonderful," muttered Knox.

Ava kept eating and talking. "A little anger is healthy, Knox. Good for the heart and good for the soul."

"I don't think murderous, blood rages are good for either of those things, Ava. I don't."

She dismissed his concern with a shrug. "Whatever. I'm _not_ bipolar. I'm just a-"

"Bitch!"

Ava spun in her seat, mouth still full. "That's what I was going to say," she managed to get out with her cheeks all stuffed with food.

In the middle of the alley was a group of angry men. Standing front and center was the thief. His arm was in a sling and he looked pissed. He had four of his cronies surrounding him. They were armed with baseball bats and pool cues.

"You broke my arm, bitch!"

"Friends of yours?" asked Knox. He looked over to see Ava grinning maliciously. "See this is what I was talking about. You are way to happy!" But it was too late. His objection fell on deaf ears as Ava threw herself at the men.

The first man to attack rushed her with his bat raised high above his head. He was punched rapidly in the face, and then the throat for his troubles. He dropped to his knees gasping for breath, but he wasn't clear yet. Ava roundhouse kicked him in the face and he sailed back to land next to his buddies.

"Next?" she asked with a manic grin.

The men all rushed her at once. She ducked under the first swing with a pool cue and Knox saw it break on another one of the attackers. Ava stood and ripped the broken cue from the man's hands before plunging the jagged wood into his shoulder. The man who had been hit tried to wrap his arms around her, but as soon as he tried to lock his arms she rammed her head backwards into his nose. Blood spurted and he dropped her, cursing.

Ava rolled forwards before whipping her leg backwards right into his privates. The man let go of his bleeding nose and fell to the ground clutching his nethers. Ava laughed at his misery and didn't see the last man swing his pool cue at her. It clipped her temple and she stumbled backwards stunned. She gingerly put a hand to her head and it came away with blood. She growled ferally and made to lunge at him, but his head exploded before she could.

Knox was still seated at the bar, but had his pistol drawn. "You looked like you could use a hand," he said with a shrug and smirk before spinning his gun around on his finger, sliding it into its holster, and turning back to his food.

Ava stomped over to the thief, the only one left standing. He stood paralyzed with fear as she approached.

"I didn't kill you earlier because I'm trying to be a good person," she hissed angrily. "YOU'RE MAKING IT DIFFICULT!"

She punched him in his injured shoulder and the man crumpled under the blow. "Now one of your friends is dead!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"

Ava growled in barely contained anger. "Get out of here," she spat through grit teeth. The man scurried backwards and ran away as fast as his feet would carry him. Ava walked back to the bar, casually stepping on one of the injured men on her way. She plopped down and slouched her head and arms on the bar top.

"I showed mercy," she mumbled into her arms, "I guess I am growing as a person."

Knox stood up and leaned into the bar. He reached down underneath and grabbed two bottles of Nuka-Cola. He uncapped one and set in front of Ava.

"I guess you are."

She couldn't help, but grin at the Courier. She grabbed her stolen bottle and clinked it against his.

_Righto! Hope you enjoyed that. I'd like to hear what you guys have to say as always, so please review. My goal in Shattered Illusions was to paint the Wanderer as this tragic, tortured figure who was forced to leave childhood in order to survive. Now, in Frontier Dreaming, I'm trying to show her as someone who is having to learn how to grow up. Manners, responsibility, pretty much just how to act as a person. I hope you like it and I will see you next chapter!_


	3. Missing History

_Sorry about how long this chapter took. I've been super busy with work-work and school-work. But here it is now and I have good news I should have chapter 4 up almost immediately. It's almost totally written currently. So that's good. Thanks to all you reviewers and to those of you who shot my questions, here are some answers!_

_Yes, Ava is immensely immature. She was forced to give up her childhood, the Wasteland really didn't make her grow up. Expect her to grow up somewhat in this story._

_This story will go all the way through New Vegas and beyond. Expect to see your favorite characters._

_No. I can't tell you character allegiances yet. That's for part 3 and I'm not going to spoil it._

_Lastly, if this were in game, Knox would have a speech level pretty much maxed out._

_And that's it. Read, review, enjoy._

April 20, 2280

13:00

Roanoke, Virginia

Train Station

Ava and Knox sat on a bench inside a dilapidated train station waiting for the arrival of their ride. Knox had pulled his battered book back out and was perusing it quietly, every few seconds turning another page. Ava sat next to him, her elbows resting on her knees and her feet bouncing up and down at a rapid tempo, steadily tapping out her impatience in quick staccato notes.

"Ava, I assure you the train will be here."

Knox hadn't looked up from his book when he spoke, instead he just turned another page and kept reading.

"But how do you know?" asked Ava with a slight whine. "All the trains in DC are totally destroyed! Why would that be any different out here in the middle of fucking nowhere?"

Knox banged his head back against the wall with a tap, tap, tap. "Ava, that's because DC was the target of heavy bombing during the Great War. All the DC Metro tunnels are underground. As you know most collapsed. The rest of the countries rails are on the surface," he explained. "If a bomb wasn't dropped directly on them, they're still there."

"But how do you _know_?"

He looked at her, slightly annoyed and snapped his book shut. "For fuck's sake! I've ridden them! Frequently. They're there, you hyperactive, immature, little..." Knox's train of thought trailed off into annoyed grumbles.

Ava stared back at him defiantly. "I was just asking," she muttered quietly. She went back to tapping her feet. Knox sighed.

"Are you really _that_ bored?"

The tapping stopped. "I'm not bored," she said quickly. She started tapping her feet again, this time slightly quicker. Knox buried his face in his hands and groaned in frustration. Ava could faintly hear muffled curses coming from between his gloved fingers. She pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks, slowly releasing the air. When she sputtered out, she looked over to the Courier.

"Whatcha reading?" she asked. Knox mumbled an unintelligible response from his lap where his head remained. Ava raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He lifted his head and gave her a slight glare. "I'm not reading anything. You took care of that."

Ava rolled her eyes and sighed, slouching back against the wall. "Sorry, Knox. It's just- I don't- I... Hmm."

"Spit it out."

She sat back up and rotated herself to face Knox. "We were in a fight! Now we're just sitting here. Like ten minutes ago I was punching guys and now I'm on a bench! Waiting."

"You _are_ bored," accused Knox. This time Ava didn't deny it. She was, in fact, quite bored. Knox had brought some sort of structure to her life when he'd rescued her from DC and that had revealed a slight mental tick of hers. Before he'd found her, back when she'd been alone, she'd just been wandering around without any real plan. Everything was in the moment. No time to be bored if you didn't have a future.

Now, she was waiting for a train. Ava hadn't had to wait for anything in a very,_ very_ long time and she found that it didn't agree with her. Patience was a virtue she most definitely lacked and it was Knox's misfortune to have to deal with that.

"I'm sorry, Knox. I just can't stand sitting here. It's making my skin crawl! Tell me what you're reading, pleeeeeaaaaaaasssssseeeee."

"My god, you're like a child."

Ava stared at him, eyes wide and innocent. Knox flicked his fingers at her eyes causing her to jerk backwards with a mischievous grin. She may not have had much of a childhood, but Ava had never had to grow up either. Locked inside the body of the young woman sitting on the bench was someone with a considerably lower maturity than her age suggested.

She tried to swipe the book from Knox, but he intercepted her arm and planted his free hand in her face and pushed her backwards. She tumbled off the bench and landed on the floor. She giggled and just collapsed flat on the floor. She splayed out on the ground, completely ignoring all the other individuals in the train station who'd begun to stare.

"Just tell me what you're reading, Knox!"

Knox had his mouth scrunched up thoughtfully as if he was deciding whether to tell her not. His eyes flicked between the book and Ava several times. He seemed torn.

"What is it? Knox, what's the book?" Ava sat up on the ground and looked at him. Knox breathed out with an explosive rush of air and scratched his chin.

"It's my journal."

Ava looked at the book curiously. A journal? Knox's eyes were focused on the book and he had a distant look on his face. His usual smiles and grins were absent and in its place was a grim, thoughtful frown. Ava didn't like that look an his face.

"Knox?" she asked quietly and gave his knee a quick shake.

Her touch snapped him back to reality. He stood up and pulled her to her feet.

"Get up, come on, off the floor."

They sat back down on the bench and Knox began to explain.

"I've been keeping a journal for a short while now. Maybe a year or two," he said and paused for a moment. He met her gaze, his face serious. "But it's no ordinary journal."

He drummed his fingers on the battered cover a few times before continuing. "Most people keep a journal of what happens to them day to day. Not me. This is a journal of everything I've found out that's happened to him."

Ava didn't understand as Knox played the pronoun game. She was forced to ask, "Happened to who?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye and his mouth quirked up at the side, but it was a bitter smile.

"To me."

Knox reached up pulled off his ever present cowboy hat. On the right side of his head just below his hairline was a jagged scar shooting upwards.

"My god, Knox," whispered Ava. "What the fuck happened?" she asked louder.

"I was executed," he said. "The last thing I remember was being put on my knees. Everything before that... well, nothing."

"You don't remember anything?"

Knox shook his head no. "This book," he gestured with it, "is everything I've found out about myself and anything anyone knows about me."

He thumbed through the pages quickly and Ava saw scrawled notes, pictures, and paper clippings. Ava's eyes were wide and she stared at awe as Knox finished flicking through and closed the book.

"That's... that's insane, Knox."

"Any more insane than a girl from a Vault who defeated the Enclave?" he asked with genuine grin.

Ava shrugged and returned the smile. "I suppose not." Her eyes rested on the book again. They sat next to each other in silence for a few moments.

"Can I read it?"

Knox stood up quickly. "No, you can't read it! Hell, Ava. This is some deeply personal shit!"

Ava stood up next to him and jabbed a finger in his chest. "You know all about me! I barely know anything about you. How is this fair?"

"Fair?" he shouted back. "How in any way are our lives fair? I got shot in the head and you... well, fuck, Ava! I don't even know where to begin with you!"

People were beginning to look sideways at the two uncomfortably, but neither noticed.

"Oh, I'm Knox," Ava pantomimed, deepening her voice. "I'm all mysterious and won't tell people anything about myself, but don't be fooled, it's because I don't know any about myself."

Knox snorted in derision. "Two can play at that. I'm, Ava," he said, his voice high pitched. "I'm some crazy girl from DC, my family's dead and I like beating people up!"

The two glared at each other in cold silence. Ava was the first to crack. One eyebrow twitched upwards and her mouth began to quiver in a barely controlled smile. Knox was equally as unable to contain his grin. He started to silently chuckle.

Ava broke out into a large grin. "Do you think my voice actually sounds like that?"

Knox couldn't contain the laughter anymore and it burst out of his mouth in fits. Ava gave him a light punch on the shoulder and she sat back on the bench. Knox collapsed next to her, slightly breathless.

"So where's the train?"

Knox looked over at Ava, a bemused expression on his face. "We're back to this? Really?"

"Just wondering." She shrugged and slouched down again, her legs sticking out in front of her. A passerby tripped on her extended boot and gave her a sharp look. She stuck her tongue out at his back as he kept walking.

"Seriously though, where's the fucking train?"

Knox looked like he was going to either punch her or himself when a faint whistle pierced the air. "Speak of the devil," Knox said softly.

The train could only be heard at first. Its whistle howling and its engine rumbling. Soon enough the old, war-torn building itself was shaking as the train approached, thundering down the tracks. With a screaming squeal of metal the train's brakes were thrown and it slid into the station in a shower of sparks and smoke.

"You were serious. A goddamn train. Fuck me," Ava said in awe.

"You're not my type." Knox gave a wicked grin as he slung his satchel and entered the milling throng of people gathering around the platform.

"Knox!" Ava shouted in shock, but she couldn't help smiling. She grabbed her duffel and ran after him. The waiting crowds had begun to surge forward towards the train and she shifted through them, tagging along after Knox. He was headed towards the conductor car.

He hopped up onto the train car and grabbed a hold of the hand rail. He shouted back to her, "Hurry it up! I want a good seat." He whirled around the corner and disappeared. Ava hurried up after him and jumped onto the train only to come face to face with a ghoul wearing a scowl and a pair of grease stained overalls.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a dry, raspy voice. The ghoul took a step forward forcing her off the train and back onto the platform. Ava swallowed, only able to think of another ghoul she'd met (and killed) named Roy Phillips. Roy could only be described as an ego-maniacal ass and had not left a good impression on her.

"I- I- I was-" she stuttered.

"Y-y-you were..." the ghoul interrupted with a mocking, lipless smile. The ghoul stepped down onto the platform next to her to watch her sweat under his gaze. He pulled a dirty rag from his pocket and began to clean his hands.

"I was _going_ to get on the train! But then you stepped in and here we are now." Ava's momentary nervousness had passed. Back was the girl who would punch a person for looking at her too long. "Are you gonna move?"

Ava's hand folded into a threatening fist. The ghoul saw this and was unimpressed

He simply chuckled. "Seeing as this is my train, no, I don't think I am. Not until I see your ticket at least."

This halted Ava in her tracks. Ticket? What ticket? Knox didn't have a ticket! He just got on! That bastard!

"I... uh... don't have one?" she explained lamely.

"Well, in that case, you're not getting on my train."

Ava stomped her foot like a child. "Oh come on! My... friend... just got on!"

The ghoul raised an eyebrow, or rather a brow. There was no hair for it to qualify as an eyebrow. "Look, girl. I don't know what relationship you have with some gentleman, or lady if that's your thing, but if your pimp bought a ticket, it doesn't cover you."

Ava frowned, completely nonplussed. "I'm not a hooker, er, well I'm not a hooker now. Look, it doesn't matter! My _friend_ is a courier, he just got on! I swear!" Ava made a motion with a finger and crossed it across his heart, while inside her mind trying to plan the quickest way to knock the ghoul out without drawing attention.

"Sorry," the ghoul apologized, but his tone didn't quite sell it. "However, you're still not getting on. Mail car is back there." He waved with a thumb, gesturing towards the back. "All package, people-packages, and people-prisoners go there."

Ava rolled her eyes in exasperation, the ghoul missed it and continued. "You're not a prisoner are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, I'm not," she assured him. Why was this so difficult? Oh, right. Because Knox was a jerk. "I was waiting here with a courier, he just got on the train, he didn't tell me about a mail car," which she sure as hell wasn't riding in, "I don't know where he went, but if you just let me on, I can find him, and he can figure everything out."

The ghoul crossed his arms. "Do you think I was born yesterday? I'm not going to fall for that." He thought she was trying to trick him!

"God fucking damn it, Knox," she muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. The ghoul perked up and his stern frown lifted.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing," Ava waved her hand dismissively, "Nothing. I just want to get on the train. Can I buy a ticket?"

The ghoul wasn't having that. "No, seriously. What did you just say?"

Ava pulled off her duffel and began to rummage in it. "Nothing. Just cursing my fucking 'friend'." She pantomimed air quotes before dipping back into her bag. "How much for a ticket?" She stood up with her bag of caps.

The ghoul pushed away the proffered caps. "The name, girl! The name!"

"What does it matter? Take my money!"

"Say the name," shouted the ghoul.

"Knox!" she shouted back. She stared the ghoul down until, much to her surprise, the ghoul picked her up in a sweeping embrace. "Eep!" she squeaked. The ghoul waved her back and forth, quite happy.

"Ha ha!" he laughed. He set her down on the ground where she stumbled slightly. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Any friend of Knox's is a friend of mine!" he said enthusiastically. "Name's Clinton and this here is my railroad," he thrust one of his grease-covered, decaying hands into hers and shook it wildly. Ava felt like her arm was going to fall off. "You are?"

Ava collected her hand back. "Ava. I'm Ava."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ava. God... It is a real pleasure. I had no idea Knox was passing through today! Well, shit. Lemme show you where his usual spot is." Clinton clambered back up onto the train and lent her hand up as well. He bustled through the engineering cabin and back into the passenger cars. As he squeezed past passengers he talked back over his shoulder to her.

"Usually Knox gives me some heads up and I try to get him a private cabin, least I could do really, but whenever it's a spur of the moment type deal he'll camp out in the dining car. The man really likes to eat, I can tell you that."

Ava followed the conductor from one car to another until they reached the dining car. He opened the car door with flourish and a bow. The car was full of mismatched tables and chandeliers spanning the length of the train section. Along one wall was a full bar and grill manned by two burly ghouls and a young, scantily clad waitress. Ava looked at Clinton, he smiled up at her from his bow and nodded that it was okay for her to enter. She stepped into the car and was immediately greeted by its sole passenger.

"Hiya, Ava!" Knox waved at her from the table he was seated at. In front of him was a plate piled high of grilled meats, cheeses, and breads. His journal sat ignored next to his elbow.

Ava strode over angrily to him, her face contorted in rage.

"Glad you found the place," he started to say before Ava's fist crunched into his nose. Blood spurted from between her knuckles and his head snapped back against the wall with a crack.

"Ah! You psychotic bitch!"

Knox clamped his hand over his bleeding nose, while fumbling for a bandana to stem the blood flow. "The fuck is your problem with my nose?" he asked in angry irritation in a pained, nasally voice.

"You left me out there, Knox," she stated hotly with her hands on her hips. "You stupid jerk," she shouted before winding up to swing at him again. Knox kicked her in the knee from under the table, causing her to collapse backwards into the seat across from him with an angry grimace.

Knox held the bandana up to his face. "Sit down." He motioned to the waitress who hurried over with two bottles of Nuka-Cola. She set them down before hurrying away from the brewing confrontation. Clinton excused himself with a nervous, "I've got to get us underway, good to see you Knox!" and then he too fled the car. Knox slid one of the bottles to Ava.

She angrily upcapped it before chugging the entire bottle and slamming it down on the table. Knox's plate of food and his bottle jumped from the force of the impact.

"Sorry about leaving you on the platform. I am. My bad." Knox stared at her earnestly, but Ava knew enough about the Courier to tell he was bullshitting her. He reached for his bottle of Nuka, but Ava snatched it away from him and began to drink it as fast as her first.

"Liar," she muttered venomously.

Knox smirked. "You caught me," he admitted. He was silent for a moment before speaking up again. "It was pretty funny though."

Ava stood up and cracked the now empty bottle against Knox's head. It exploded in a shower of glass. Knox slumped against the train car's window, unconscious.

Ava gave a bitter laugh. "Hilarious." She pulled his plate across to herself. She took a bite before reaching over to make sure Knox had a pulse.

He did.

"Jerk," she said again before shoveling his meal into her mouth.

_So like I said, Chapter 4 should be up pretty quickly, but if you really want to be informed when it's updated give the story a follow, then you'll never miss an update! See ya!_


	4. Glutton For Punishment

_New chapter! Yaaayyyyy! Enjoy!_

April 20, 2280

21:00

West Virginia

Clinton's Train

It was well into the evening when Knox finally awoke. His face was pressed up against the cool glass of the window. As his eyes blinked a few times, he unstuck his cheek from the pane and slowly straightened out.

Ava was still seated across from him, but she was now surrounded by a mountain of empty plates and glasses. She looked at him while slurping away at a milkshake. Knox did a quick count to make sure his brain was working right. It was her third milkshake.

She finished her shake and flagged for the waitress to come over. Knox shook his head and groaned.

"Oh good. You're not dead."

"Fucking bitch," muttered Knox as he took his hat off and swept some glass out of it. He set it on the table and ran a hand through his hair. "Like really, what the actual fuck Ava? You hit me with a goddamn bottle."

Ava ignored him as the waitress came over. "Is there any thing else I can get you?" she asked.

Ava cast a quick eye over the menu. "I'll have another burger aaannnnnddddd I think I'll have a bowl of the soup of the day."

The waitress nodded with a smile and made a note on her notepad. She tucked the notepad into the top of her stockings and picked up some of the dirty dishes surrounding Ava. "Shall I just add it to your tab?"

Ava nodded. The waitress turned to return to the kitchen area. Ava's eyes followed her as she walked away, focused on the lace clad legs.

"You have a tab?"

Her attention snapped back to Knox. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You have a tab? What the hell are you looking at anyway?" Knox twisted in his seat trying to figure out what Ava was focused on.

Ava sat back in her seat with a smirk. "I don't have a tab... but you do."

Knox whirled back to her. "What!? The food's not free you little tramp!" Ava just shrugged and went back to looking at the pretty waitress.

"First you punch me, then you break a bottle over my head, now you're trying to bankrupt me! Hey! Eyes front!"

Knox snapped his fingers in front of Ava's eyes forcing her to pay attention.

"You can ogle the waitress later, though honestly I didn't think she was your type."

Ava raised an eyebrow. "Not my type? You mean not a man?"

Knox angry scowl was replaced briefly with a quick eye roll. "Ava, I've traveled to a lot of places," he said, "I've met people who are into everything. What I meant was I thought you'd have higher standards."

"Higher than what, Knox?" Ava was a little angry now. "Just because she's a waitress doesn't mean anything. If you forgot, I was whore for a little while. But you don't really care about who people are, do you? You just use them to get what _you _want. Isn't that right?"

Knox didn't show any emotion, but Ava could tell he was startled. "Why would you say that, Ava?"

Ava slid his journal across the table to him. It stopped just short of sliding off the table. This time Knox couldn't conceal his shocked expression.

"You read... my journal?" he asked, his voice cold.

Ava crossed her arms, she was refusing to be the bad guy here. "I was tired about not knowing anything about the man who's bringing me across the entire country to some family I've never even heard of. And every time I asked you, you ditched me! So yeah, I read it."

She tried to stare him down, but Knox wouldn't meet her gaze. The waitress chose that moment to intervene.

"Here is your burger and your soup! Do you need anything else?"

"No," Ava said harshly. She hadn't looked away from Knox. The waitress made a hurt face and pouted. Realizing she was unwanted she went back to the kitchen.

"Do you have anything to say at all Knox?"

Knox looked up at her slowly. "What can I say, Ava? I was not a good person. I killed people. A lot of people. Now that you've read that it really makes your laundry list of character deficiencies seem pretty insignificant now doesn't it?"

That was a low blow and it stung, but Ava supposed she deserved it. Reading Knox's journal may not have been okay. She probably shouldn't have done that.

"I'm going to forget you said that."

Knox gave a tired sigh. "Sorry, Ava, but think about how I feel. I don't know who that guy is," he gestured at the journal. "Yet I'm still saddled with the blame. And the guilt. Eating me up. I'm getting torn apart for things I didn't do!"

"You did do them Knox! Take it from me, you can't run away from the things you've done!"

"I haven't done anything, Ava!" he insisted. "The man in that journal, Courier 6? He died. He was buried in a shallow grave. I'm. Not. Him."

Knox's face had hardened and he was staring at her with fire in his eyes. However, she suspected the words were said more for his benefit than hers.

"Knox," she started, "What you've found out. The Divide? All those people? Dead. Because of you."

"I didn't know what was in that package! I swear!"

Ava folded her fingers in front of her face and peered over them at the man sitting across from her. Gone was the man who was full of smiles and stupid jokes. Sitting before her was a very haunted man.

"_You_ didn't know? I thought Courier 6 died."

Knox slammed his fists on the table causing a loud bang. The other diners all turned to look at them. Knox leaned forward and hissed at her, "He did. But he's sure as hell left his mark on me. I woke up with nothing of my own Ava. All my skills: the guns, the tracking, the languages I speak. Those are all his. All I've got is what I do now and fuck it all if I try to do some good." His eyes were full of fury now and Ava actually felt a little nervous.

"Every thing I do now, I do to make the Wasteland a better place. Why the fuck else would I take a cheap paying job like this, risk my life finding your ass, and then deal with you? Not for my own pleasure. It's because Doc Mitchell gave me a second chance. A clean slate instead of a curtain call."

Ava gasped. "Doc Mitchell? You said he treated you, but... oh my god. Head injury. You were executed."

"Exactly. And now I'm here. Paying him back. I hope it's fucking worth it."

Knox sat back in his chair and stared moodily off past Ava, refusing to look at her. Ava sat quietly, her hands in her lap. She'd pushed him too far. She shouldn't have, she knew that, but she did it anyway.

Ava blinked. She could feel a few tears welling at the edge of her eyes. Knox was still glaring at the wall. Ava rubbed a hand in her eyes to push the tears away.

"I'm... sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have said any of that. I... I was wrong. You are a good person, Knox."

Knox didn't say anything. He didn't even look at her. It was if he hadn't even heard.

Ava stared up at him, her head bowed. "I think my soup got cold."

Nothing.

Ava sighed. She waved at the waitress whose only response was to turn her nose up at her and look the other way.

"And I think I may have destroyed any chance I had with her."

This got a bitter snort out of Knox. "You're _real_ good at that. Destroying relationships that is."

Ava looked hurt. "I'm _sorry_, Knox. I really am. I'm not good at all this people bullshit like you. You understand people, I don't."

"Courier 6 understood people, not me," Knox said quietly.

Ava looked at him, curious. Still hurt, but curious. Knox caught her look and cleared his throat uncomfortably. He looked at her apologetically and explained a little further.

"You... read it. So you know. The silver tongued Courier 6. He twisted people around to get what he wanted. I find myself doing it now and then and I just... that's not who I want to be. I don't just want to use people like that. I don't want to waste my second chance becoming the same man again."

He met Ava's eyes. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. Trying to make a new name for yourself is hard. Especially when people won't let you forget the old one."

"It's alright." Ava gave a slight smile. "Your doing a good job. Being a good person... Even if you're an obnoxious asshole sometimes."

Knox gave a short bark of laughter. "Couldn't just leave it with a compliment, could you?"

Ava shook her head, grinning. Good. Knox was back. She hadn't burned that bridge.

"Can't let you get too full of an ego. Gotta keep you level."

"Thank you sooooo much," Knox said sarcastically.

They sat in silence for a few more moments. Ava began eating her hamburger and Knox sat ponderously across from her. Now that he was awake, Ava was feeling the itch in the back of her skull to start talking again, but she refrained and allowed the silence to continue until she finished her food.

With a satisfied sigh, she pushed the plate away from her. "I'm going to get some fresh air." She started to stand up, but only made it half-way. She swayed unsteadily on her feet and put a hand over her stomach. It was rock hard from all the food she'd gorged herself on.

"Oooohhh," she moaned piteously.

"How much did you eat?" asked an incredulous Knox as he watched her trying unsuccessfully to steady herself on the table edge.

"Just about the whole menu," she said hoarsely. Her face was turning slightly green.

"The whole menu? Fucking Christ."

Ava nodded, but the motion was a bad idea. Her eyes bulged and she clamped a hand over her mouth. Knox stood up and grasped her elbow. Acting as a support he began to help the poor girl out of the dining car.

"Come on, that waitress will never go for you if she sees you barf all over her dining car."

Knox steered her towards the exit and through the last remaining cars until they were standing on the exterior porch of the caboose. Two chairs were resting out there. A young boy was seated in one smoking a cigarette. He looked up in a panic when the door opened. By his quality of clothing and the sheepish expression on his face, Knox guessed he was actually from one of the front cars, but had snuck back there for a smoke.

Knox jerked his thumb over his shoulder, signaling the kid to leave. The boy was only too happy to oblige and scurried off.

"There we go, all alone. Go nuts." Knox slapped a hand across Ava's back. She gave a loud retch and bent over the railing, ejecting her stomach contents on the quickly moving ground below. After several more loud heaves she sagged over the railing. Knox grabbed her by her belt and pulled her back away from the edge. She collapsed back into one of the chairs. Knox sat down in the one left unoccupied.

Sweat beaded across Ava's brow, but she was feeling much better. "That was awful," she murmured towards Knox.

"Maybe don't be such a glutton next time. Everything is better in moderation," he lectured.

"Moderation... yeah..." she said slowly. "Message received."

Knox grinned and snatched something off the ground. It was the box of cigarettes the kid had left. He pulled one out and fished in one of his pockets for a lighter. He lit the cigarette and took a deep puff.

"You smoke?" asked Ava.

Knox let out a hacking cough. He flicked the cigarette over the railing. Followed quickly by the box.

"N-no," he managed to choke out. "Courier 6 was a drinker, not a smoker. Now I see why. I'm always looking for things he didn't do to make mine. This... is not one."

Ava pulled her legs up into the chair and resting her chin on her knees. "Must be nice to have a clean slate. To lose all the bad stuff. To just get a redo."

Knox chuckled sorrowfully. "It's not as nice as you might think. Having your past haunt you is one thing, Ava, but having your past haunt you and not knowing it? That's something else."

Ava nodded and stared off out over the railing. The sun was almost done setting and shadows were setting into the landscapes as they raced past.

"Cheer up, Ava." Knox nudged her with his elbow. "You're getting a new start, aren't you? Leaving DC and headed west. Leave the bad stuff behind, yeah?"

Ava kept staring out into the plains. "I still remember everything I've done. All of it. All the terrible, _terrible_ things I've done. I can't forget it."

"I said leave it behind, Ava. Not forget it. Take it from a guy who can't remember, you don't want to forget it."

Ava's eyes started watering again. "Ah, fucking tears," she muttered. She turned to look at Knox. "But I'm- everything I did- I just... it's all so bad, I'm so bad," she finished quietly.

"Then be good," he replied.

She looked back out at the Wasteland. It was almost completely dark now. An electric light flickered on above them, bathing them in a yellow glow.

"You make it sound so simple." Ava had thought the same thing before. Just be good. Yeah, right.

"It is that simple, Ava. Look, sure, I came to find you because I owe Doc Mitchell, but the majority of the jobs I take are because people need them done. I do it to do some good. Clinton for example. He lets me ride for free. Would you like to know why?"

Ava didn't say anything. Knox took that as a sign it was okay to continue. "When I met Clinton he was a down on his luck ghoul. He was nearly ready to try and off himself, but hadn't quite gotten around to it. We got to talking and he mentioned that before the War he was a train conductor. Ran all over the States."

Ava listened absentmindedly as Knox recounted his tale.

"So, we were talking about how there were rail lines all over the place, but no trains. I asked if Clinton would be able to put something together. Make his life worth it again. He said he could, if he had the parts. So I found the parts!"

"You just went and found the parts?" asked Ava.

"Well, it wasn't easy," Knox replied defensively. "I had to look all over the place for some of the pieces, but yeah, I found em."

"You just helped him out of the goodness of your heart?"

Knox smiled at her. "Pretty much. I mean, I travel a lot, so I told Clinton I'd keep an eye out for parts. And I did. Now he lets me ride for free. Pretty cool, no?"

"Pretty cool," Ava agreed. "Just helping people. That's what you do now?"

"I suppose you could call it that," Knox said with a small smile.

Ava stared at him, trying to figure him out. The good Samaritan act didn't seem like Knox. She was sure now that he was a good person, but a saint? No. There was more to him. He wasn't just roaming around helping people. She'd recognize another wanderer and he wasn't one. Knox always had a goal, an objective. She suspected he had a big one he wasn't telling her. She didn't know what it was, but she'd find out. Not now, but she would find out. She'd forced enough private information out of Knox for one day.

"I'm glad I met you, Knox."

Knox smiled. "Thanks," he said.

Ava rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to say it was nice to meet me too."

Knox shrugged and let out a noncommittal, "Eh."

"Jerk." Ava was smiling as she said it. Knox had been more helpful than he could ever possibly imagine. He'd taught her a lot. More than _she_ could have possibly imagined. She just had to keep herself straight and narrow and she could do it.

Sure. Because that had never gone wrong before. She'd tried it all before and her own mind had torn itself apart in the process. She sighed.

"What's up?" Knox had heard the sigh.

"I... I know what I need to do now, but... I don't want to fail. I spent so much time lost. So much time not knowing who I am. Now? I'm afraid if I fail, all the work will be swept away. And me? I'll be swept away with it. How do you do it? How do you stay you?"

Knox laughed out loud. Ava stared at him in shock. She bared her soul and the man laughed? Fucker.

Knox caught sight of her expression. "I'm not being insensitive, I swear," he chuckled. "I asked myself that question every day when I woke up. Who am I? How do I know me?"

He drew his pistol and lay it in his lap. Ava admired it. It was a short barreled gun with a snakeskin grip. It looked like Latin was inscribed on the side.

"This is A Light Shining In Darkness. I got it from a man named Joshua Graham in a place called Zion. This gun has history behind it. Graham's and my own."

He drew his knife, big fearsome bowie knife. "This is Blood-Nap. I got it when I finally went back to the Divide to right the wrong I created. It's my past too."

He waved his hands above the weapons. "Everywhere I go, everything I find. It's me. I've got my history all over the Wasteland."

"What do I have?" asked Ava quietly.

Knox looked thoughtful for a moment. "You've got a past Ava. And you've got a future too. Have faith."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Someone like you, Ava, we'll _make _your history."

_Everything so far has been mostly dialogue and character driven, next chapter I bring you ACTION! Any questions? Send me a message! Like the story? Leave a review or a favorite! See you next time!_


	5. The Cowboys

_Here we are at the next chapter. I'm so glad you could join me. Not much as for updates except an answer to a question. To whoever asked why the Lone Wanderer is listed as a character: did you even read Shattered Illusions? Anyway, with that out of the way, back to business. Read, enjoy, review!_

April 21, 2280

05:00

Kentucky

Clinton's Train

It was early in the morning when Ava awoke. She'd fallen asleep in the chair at the back of the train. Her conversation with Knox had drifted off into surprisingly comfortable silence and she'd eventually closed her eyes. With a stiff neck she looked over; Knox was snoring in his seat. His feet were propped up on the railing and his hat was pulled low over his eyes.

Ava stood up, a little unsteady from the train's constant motion, and stretched. She lifted her arms above her head and leaned to each side before touching her toes. With a yawn she fell back into her chair.

What time was it, anyway? The sun was just rising. She looked at Knox again. She couldn't see his battered watch from where she was.

"Knox, what time is it?" she asked, not particularly caring if she woke him. Knox murmured incoherently in his sleep. "Knox!" she repeated. He flopped his arm out of his lap towards her, but still didn't wake up. She lifted his wrist until she could read it.

5AM! Damn, that was too early to be awake. She tried to close her eyes again, but sleep eluded her. Now that she was awake it looked like she was going to stay awake. Ava sighed and leaned forward in her seat and rested her arms on the railing. She couldn't help, but think about the conversation from the night before.

Knox had talked of making her history and his weapons and the stories behind them, but it fell short of making any sort of sense to her. A gun was a gun, a knife was a knife. Wasn't it? What made them so important. Armor, weapons... people... they had all been things to be used and discarded in her life. Anything different was a foreign concept for her. Her head fell on top of her arms and she snorted in dismay. In her old life when things had gotten too hard to think about she'd just get high. Never again, she thought. Never. Again.

But the thoughts kept buzzing in Ava's head like angry hornets. She just couldn't get them out. With a frustrated sigh she threw herself back into the chair causing it to creak in protest. Knox with all his talk of history. What did he know anyway? Nothing. He couldn't even remember any of his own history.

Ava blushed in embarrassment. That wasn't okay to think. The thoughts were just in her head, but she still felt bad. Knox had helped her so much. She had to trust he knew what he was talking about. She couldn't just give up because _she _was the one who didn't understand. Maybe she just had to think about it differently.

Her guns and armor were in her duffel back in the dining car. Knox had his weapons on his pistol belt, but she didn't have... she had her knife! Strapped to her thigh was her combat knife. The same one that Wadsworth had sent her out with so long ago in Megaton. She held the knife in both hands. It was just a knife, she didn't even know where she'd gotten it.

Wait...

Maybe she did remember it. The blade was different than others. It's weight was off, she could feel it. She balanced it on her finger. The center was still at the hilt, but the blade as a whole was lighter. She flipped it and twirled it around her fingers dextrously. This knife was different. And on the hilt! There. She looked closer. Scratched into the grip were a few words.

"Stab-happy," she whispered. She _did_ remember this knife. She'd taken it off some raiders just outside of Bethesda. She'd been chasing them away from Big Town back when she was... well, not a horrible person and psychopath. She remembered actually considering leaving one of the raiders alive. He was beat and she was going to just walk away. Except, Ava remembered, the moron hadn't been smart enough to realize she was sparing him. He'd attacked her with this blade... Stab-happy. She'd disarmed him and killed him with it.

She frowned. So what? The blade had history. Not _good_ history. Maybe Knox was full of shit. Except... Stab-happy was also the knife she'd had when she'd finally hit rock bottom and started the climb back up with Knox. Maybe it had a new history?

Ava groaned in frustration. This philosophy bullshit was too much for her tired brain to handle. Maybe later she could ask Knox to go over it again with her.

No, she thought, this was something she should probably figure out. Knox was helpful, but he wasn't going to be able to tell her what she needed to know. No one could do that. She looked at Stab-happy again. The knife was unique. In a physical sense as well as sentimental nature. She had history with it. It might not have been happy history, but it was her history. What did this knife make her. A killer? A murderer?

No. She gave it deep thought. A protector. An avenger. In her hands Stab-happy had never spilled first blood. She thought about it more. Never. She'd certainly killed with it, but always in defense of someone else.

"Knox, how the fuck do you know this stuff?" she asked quietly and looked over at the sleeping Courier. She smiled and cradled the blade in her hands. This was her knife. _Hers._ And she would keep it that way.

She flicked it up into the air, watching it twirl was almost mesmerizing. Snatching her hand up as quick as a snake she pinched the tip of the blade between her thumb and forefinger. She stared at it as it stood there quivering. Her eyes unfocused from the metal of the blade and out into the surrounding country side. She saw...

Horses?

Ava quickly sheathed Stab-happy and stood up trying to get a better look. The horses (if that's what they were) were racing after the train on either sides of the track. They had riders too. As they got closer she could begin to make them out. The horses were barely recognizable from the pictures she'd seen in Vault 101. They looked all decayed and awful. Like a ghoul version of a horse. They were panting and snorting as they raced after the train, exposed tendons straining.

Their riders looked to be human, clad in different clothing, but all had matching red bandanas pulled up over their faces.

"Knox," she said loudly. No response.

"Knox!" She kicked him this time. He sat up alert, his hand on his gun.

"AH! What is it? What's going on?" he shouted, fully awake in a half-second.

Ava shook her head at him and rolled her eyes. She pointed off behind her towards the horses.

"Look. Riders," she said. Her back was still turned and she couldn't see all the riders begin to draw weapons.

"Oh shit," breathed Knox as he watched the forward most heft a light machine gun. "HIT THE DECK!"

Knox dove for the floor and grabbed Ava by the belt on her pants and pulled her down next to him. She fell to the ground with a startled, "Hurk!"

Bullets cascaded around them. Wood splintered and the glass windows shattered. Knox kicked his boot at the door a few times until it swung open. He rolled in, followed shortly by Ava. They scuttled over and sat on the ground on either side of the door. Bullets continued to fly in through the open door and windows. The stored luggage exploded around them.

"Knox!' Ava shouted. "What the fuck is going on?!"

Knox had A Light Shining In Darkness drawn. He checked the clip before chambering a round.

"From the looks of it," he answered, "A train robbery."

An explosion rattled the car. Ava swayed dangerously towards the open door, but caught herself by grabbing hold of the frame. A second explosion sounded.

"Come on," Knox yelled as he got to his feet still in cover.

"Come on where?" Ava shouted back as she slid up the wall to her feet. Bullets were still flying around them.

"We've got to get to Clinton! Make sure he's alright. Then we can secure the train." Knox started to to stick his head around the door frame, but pulled it back. The firing had not ceased.

"Secure the train?" Ava looked at him in disbelief. Knox looked at her.

"Well, I'm not just going to let the train get robbed? Are you?"

Ava thought about it a moment and then shrugged. "I guess not," she admitted.

"That's the spirit. Now shush. I think they've stopped firing."

The robbers had indeed stopped firing. Ava stuck her face halfway around the door frame. The riders were all speeding up past their car and towards the front. Only one rider remained. He steered his horse towards the shattered balcony on the back of the car. Pulling alongside it, he swung his leg over the horse and jumped onto the train.

Ava looked to Knox and mouthed, "one guy." Knox nodded he understood. He pointed at her knife and then made a cutting motion at his leg. Ava unsheathed Stab-happy and slid down to a crouching position.

The few seconds it took for the robber to step into the car seemed to drag on. It was as if the world had slowed down. First a rifle barrel entered their view, then his arms, and then the whole man.

Time snapped back. Ava slashed across the robber's unprotected calf before twirling the blade around in her hand and stabbing it down above his kneecap. The man howled and tried to bring his rifle down. Knox caught the barrel in one hand and pulled it up, his other hand brought his pistol up and under the man's chin. Two shots sounded and Knox put a hand in the robber's chest and pushed backwards. The corpse staggered a step back before flopping over the railing and onto the rail line.

Knox extended Ava a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Let's move. Car by car. Keep a cool head and keep the civilians safe," he instructed.

Civilians? Weren't _they_ civilians too? Before she could ask, Knox was already moving towards the door at the opposite end of the car.

"Knox, wait up! I need my weapons and stuff!" Knox replied without turning back.

"Luckily the dining car is the way. Try to keep up."

Ava stuck her tongue out at his back and hurried after him. They stepped across the bridge and Knox banged the door open into the next car. Inside the people where looking around panicked. A few were bleeding and one woman lay dead on the floor. A few had weapons. All of them looked at the two new entries.

"Everybody please stay calm! My name is Mr. K and we're railway marshals. I need you all to stay seated."

Ava looked at Knox incredulously as he spouted nonsense and pulled out a large coin from one of his pockets. He held it up like a badge and stowed it just as quickly as he pulled it out before anyone could get a good look at it.

"What's going on?" asked one elderly man.

"We're experiencing a robbery situation. Everything is under control. My deputy and I will handle it."

Ava stood up on her tiptoes and hissed into Knox's ear, "Deputy?"

Knox whispered back, "shut it."

"If I could have everyone return to your seats and stay there, we will take care of this in short order."

Before anyone could question him, Knox crossed the train car and opened the door. Ava stuck to him and they exited the car. Knox moved to open the next door, but Ava caught him.

"Train police? Really?"

Knox's only reply was a grin. He pushed the door open and led with his pistol. The occupants of this car were frozen. Multiple lay dead on the ground. One couple was huddled together and looked up in fright as they entered. Knox held a finger up to his lips. He walked slowly past them towards the far end of the car. There didn't appear to be any robbers in the car, but they'd clearly been here.

Ava tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the window in the door. A man stood there with his back turned to them. The robbers had posted a guard. Knox quietly and quickly jogged up to one side of the door and crouched down. Ava settled in next to him.

"The next car is the dining car. Our bags are there," he whispered.

"Yeah, and how are we supposed to get them? There's a guard."

Knox rolled his eyes and made a dismissive noise. He reached up and slowly turned the handle. In one fluid move he cracked the door outwards into the man's back. The robber stumbled forward, but before he could make a noise, Knox reached around and put his hand in the man's face, pushing him off balance just enough to make him stumble right off the small bridge between cars. Ava could see the man's shocked face as he fell off the train and tumbled under it's rapidly turning wheels.

"Boom, no more guard, but..."

Ava looked at him with her head to the side, unimpressed. "But what?"

"But there's a lot more of them in the dining car."

Ava smacked her head back against the wall in frustration. "How the fuck are we going to get in there?"

Knox thought about it for a few moments before snapping his fingers. He holstered A Light Shining In Darkness and pulled his other pistol, another .45 Auto, out from behind his back. He reached into one of his belt pouches and pulled out a silencer. He began to screw it onto the .45's barrel as he explained his plan.

"Alright, so. We go in quiet right? Four guys in there, yeah?" Knox closed his eyes as he quickly counted off how many he'd seen. "Yeah, four guys. So if they're all looking that way," he pointed towards the front of the car, "then they're not looking at me."

"And how are you going to get them all to look that way?" Ava asked irritably. She didn't like the smile Knox gave her.

"That's where you come in. Tell me, have you ever walked on top of a moving train before?"

Before Ava could reply, Knox was already moving out the door. He had his silenced pistol ready and stood off to the side of the windows so the robbers in the dining car would be unable to see him. She put his hands together to give Ava a leg up onto the roof.

Ava looked at his hands scornfully and took a run at the wall of the car. She took one step of the dining car's wall before bouncing back and planting her foot on the previous car's wall. She sprang off there directly onto the roof of the dining car. She rolled to her feet and started to move across the car.

"Well, that works too, I guess," Knox said to himself. He leaned off the side of the train so he could see Ava's progress and wait for the right moment.

Ava stood unsteadily on the roof of the train car. The wind was howling and the car was rattling around underneath her. She braced herself and took a step forward and then another. One slip up, one fall and that was it, but then again when wasn't that the case in her life? Using that thought as some sort of morbid motivation, Ava continued forward until she was at the end of the car. She pulled Stab-happy out and slammed it into the roof.

She gave it a quick tug. The knife didn't budge. Good. Ava took a deep breath and let herself fall backwards in the air off the train. She hooked an ankle around Stab-happy's handle to catch herself and slammed into the side of the train car right between two windows. She could see Knox's disbelieving face as he watched her dangle by her foot. She caught his eye and he nodded at her and flashed five fingers at her twice.

Knox ducked around the corner and knelt under the door's window. He reached up and slowly turned the handle all while counting in his head. Ten, nine, eight...

Ava hung on the side of the train, preparing herself for the next part of the plan. Seven, six, five...

The door clicked open and Knox tensed at the ready. Four, three, two...

One. Ava reach over to one of the windows and rapped on it hard. She tensed her abdomen and curled herself back up onto the train roof. She grabbed onto her ankles and hung there above the windows.

Knox slowly opened the door and crept in. The robbers all had their guns pointed at a window on the far side of the car. He took a step in and trained his silenced pistol at the closest robber. He pulled the trigger.

The pistol's quiet cough couldn't be heard over the rattle of the train. He caught the casing and slid forward on his knees to catch the falling body of the man. He set the corpse on the floor and got back up.

The robbers were all slowly approaching the window.

Knox sighted up on the next man and pulled the trigger. Again he caught the casing and stepped forward, catching the body in one arm, his pistol trained on the final two robbers. He slowly lowered the body to the floor, all the while still training his sights on the third robber. He took one more step forward and pulled the trigger a third time.

The dead robber lurched forward towards his last remained comrade. Knox lunged forward as quietly as he could and caught him by the back of his bandana. The robber's body snapped back, but the shotgun in his arms did the opposite. It lurched forward. The idiot's finger was still on the trigger.

The shotgun boomed and blasted out the window right next to the last robber who spun around to see his three buddies dead and Knox standing there.

Ava cursed as glass exploded out from under her. A few shotgun pellets scraped along her back. She grimaced in pain and twisted to the side. Stab-happy twisted with her.

"Uh-oh."

Knox tried to bring his gun up, but his arms were full of corpse. He could see the last robber whirl around with his gun up. He could see the man's surprised expression turn to enraged and he could see him shoulder the rifle. He could also see Ava falling in the background.

Stab-happy came loose and Ava began to fall. Rapidly she twisted in the air and reached in the shattered window. She wrapped her fingers around the throat of the final robber and clung onto him as she plummeted towards the ground. She yanked the man backwards and she could feel his neck snap as he stopped her descent. However, he didn't prevent the broken glass of the window from gouging into her arms.

Biting her lip against the pain, Ava tried to pull her feet up from scrabbling in the rapidly moving dirt below her. Every time she shifted the glass dug deeper. A harsh cry escaped from her lips. She felt two hands clamp around her wrists and began to pull her up. She started to struggle until she saw it was Knox. He hauled her into the train and they fell onto the ground in a heap. Knox tore a bandana off one of the dead robbers and began wrapping it around Ava's arms.

"My knife..." she moaned.

"What?" he replied in confusion.

Ava snatched the bandana from him and pointed to the roof. "My knife," she said more clearly.

Knox looked at her not understanding, but in a moment it clicked. "Oh." He leaned out the window and reached his arm up towards the roof. His fingers felt around until they closed on Stab-happy's hilt. He wrenched the blade out and clambered back into the train car.

Ava had ignored bandaging her wounds and was instead rummaging in her duffel. She pulled a stimpak out and jabbed it into her bicep. She sighed happily as the healing drugs raced towards her wounds, the pain already forgotten. She discarded the syringe and took Stab-happy back from Knox.

She reached back into her duffel and pulled out a few items. A silenced assault rifle, a few mags, a homemade dart gun and darts, and a long, black, armored suit with a yellow hood.

Knox slowly approached the table where she had lain it all out. "What have we got here?" he asked quietly, staring at the armaments in admiration.

Ava looked at him, her teeth exposed in a overly gleeful grin.

"History," she replied.

_Ta-da! Chapter complete! Hope you enjoyed it. The next one should also be a bit of action packed fun time. I love doing dialogue and character development and such, but every once in a while you've just got to up the action. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Did you think it could use more of something? I'll never know unless you leave a comment, so leave one! They're extremely helpful. Or if you just want to say you like the story that's pretty damned cool too._


	6. Improvised Planning

_I have nothing of particular interest to say here... um... check out my profile? If there are any story ideas you see there that you'd be interested in shoot me a message and tell me to write it! That will pretty much guarantee I'll begin posting it._

April 21, 2280

06:00

Kentucky

Clinton's Train

Ava pulled her shirt up over her head, making a point not to get any of her blood on it. She tossed it into her bag and began to shimmy out of her pants.

"Okay, why are you getting undressed?" asked Knox as he watched her struggle to pull her pants down.

She hopped awkwardly on one foot with her leathers at her knees, trying to pull her combat boot off. With a grunt the boot came off and thudded to the floor. She started working on the other one.

"Knox, I have a plan," she declared confidently. He looked at her skeptically.

"You. You have a plan?" he asked dubiously. Ava pulled her other boot off and threw it at him. He ducked and it smacked into the wall.

"Yes," she said hotly, "_I _have a plan!" She finally succeeded in getting her pants off and grabbed the armored suit lying on the table. With practiced fingers she separated the back section from the front and started to step into it.

Knox watched her point her foot and slide the armor up one of her legs. "Do tell, what is your plan?"

"Okay, so," she started before overbalancing as she tried to put her other leg into the armor. Knox caught her and held her steady.

"So?" he asked as he set her down in a chair.

"So," she said again, "we're trying not to get the passengers killed right?" Knox nodded, but kept quiet, allowing her to continue. "So we need to take out all the bad guys without getting anybody killed and the best way to do that is by killing them without them knowing it! You've already got your silencer, but I've got better stuff."

Ava was grinning in excitement as she hopped back to her feet and went over to the table she'd been stacking her gear on. She picked up the rifle first. It looked like an extremely modified assault rifle. The stock had been removed, a scope added, and a long silencer extended the barrel. The whole thing had then been painted matte black to give it a complete appearance of stealth.

"This is Perforator! I found it in the Pitt," Ava explained. "I took it off this crazy asshole who was trying to get me killed when I was a slave."

Knox opened his mouth to ask about the specifics of her plan again, but Ava had already moved on.

"This is a dart gun I made. I've got poisons in here somewhere," she said as she went back to digging in her duffel. "Ah, here we are! They're dipped in Radscorpion venom. Paralytic at first, toxic if left untreated," she explained proudly as she showed off the poisoned darts.

Ava turned to Knox. "What do you think?" she asked him.

"I think that's all very cool and I'm happy you found some things that are special to you, truly I am, but what is your plan _exactly_?"

Ava smiled mischievously and held her arms up, the suit still hanging at her waist. "This is." She reached behind her to unsnap her bra. "Er... turn around."

Knox raised an eyebrow. "Really, you're choosing now to become modest?"

"Just do it," she replied irritably. Knox grinned to himself, but did as she said. Ava unsnapped her bra and tossed it in her bag. She slipped her arms into the black suit and shrugged it up over her shoulders. She flexed her back and arms to make sure everything was fitting correctly. The suit fit like a glove and clung to her curves. She reached behind her and pressed the back together. Its magnetized latches pulled together and closed the two halves into one.

"Okay, Knox," she said. Knox turned back as Ava started to pull the yellow hood over her face. "This is a Chinese Stealth Suit," she explained as she finished pulling the hood over. "And this is my plan."

Ava disappeared. Knox jerked backwards in surprise. "The fuck!" he exclaimed in shock.

Ava flickered back into appearance. "An advanced stealth field, complete with armor, and stylish black coloring." Her voice floated out from concealed speakers in the hood. She struck a pose with her hand on her hip. "With Perforator, my dart gun, and this suit I can move through any amount of bad guys as needed." She reached up and pulled the hood back again. She was grinning wildly and raring to go. She was going to save people and was excited to do it.

Knox smiled devilishly at her. "This is going to be soooo good," he laughed. "They aren't gonna know what hit them." He stepped over one of the corpses and picked a shotgun of the ground. He checked it to see if it had shells and turned back to Ava. "Let's do this."

Ava slung Perforator and holstered the dart gun on her right hip. Stab-happy rested on her left. "Shall we, Knox?"

Knox held the door of the dining car open for her. "Indeed we shall, Ava."

Ava stepped through the door, vanishing as she went. Her voice floated out of thin air, "Care to be a distraction?"

Knox's eyes looked towards the sound, but saw nothing. "Absolutely." With a savage yell Knox kicked in the door to the next car. He blasted the first robber he saw, before whirling back into cover. Bullets flew through the open door.

Ava rolled in under the fire, completely unseen. She shouldered Perforator and picked her targets. The first she selected had a woman held in front of him as a shield. She lunged forward and pulled the trigger. He crumpled backwards. His comrades looked on in confusion as he lay on the floor dead. The firing slowly petered out.

One of the robbers walked over and poked the body with his boot. "Jimmy?" he asked. Jimmy gave no reply to the robber. Instead he was rocked back by a trio of bullets into the center of his chest. To the last robber it looked like his friend had simply started bleeding and collapsed. He swore and began to spray with his machine gun. The woman who had been held prisoner knelt right in the line of fire.

She felt something tackle her to the side behind a bench. To the gunner she simply flew out of the way. Before the woman could wonder what was going on the weight that had impacted her was gone.

"Over here," called a voice. The robber whirled towards it, but there was nothing. As he turned Ava rolled between his open legs. She rose behind him and tapped his shoulder. He spun around, but again there was nothing.

At the far end of the car a figure materialized into thin air. It was all black except for its yellow face. The robber yelled in surprise and raised his gun. The figure started running at him, but vanished before he fired only to reappear a few feet in front of him.

Ava decloaked and lifted her leg vertically, snapping her armored foot up into the man's chin. He flew back, his head breaking through one of the train car's windows.

The woman lay on the ground, cowering. She slowly peaked up over the bench at the mysterious figure. The yellow hooded guardian turned to face her.

"Th-thank you," stammered the woman. The figure cocked its head to the side and vanished. As it disappeared an armored man with a shotgun and a cowboy hat strode into the train car. He looked at her for a moment.

"You good?"

She nodded and the man gave her a friendly smile and tipped his hat before starting to move on. He stopped and looked at her again. He seemed unsure of how to proceed.

"Did you... perhaps... see someone just vanish?" he asked with a funny look on his face. The woman nodded again.

"Excellent. She was going this way, yes?" He pointed towards the front of the train. She gave another nod. With another wave and a grin he strode out.

It took Knox a few moments before he began to get a strange prickling feeling on the back of his neck. The same sort of feeling when...

Someone was behind him.

He whirled around and whipped the butt of the shotgun up and forwards in a maneuver that would usually break an opponents jaw. This opponent was expecting it.

Ava sidestepped and pulled on the shotgun butt. Her yank and Knox's momentum pulled the gun from his grasp and into hers. She leveled it at him playfully.

"Gotcha!"

Knox shrugged. "Yeah, well I have your dart gun."

Ava dropped the shotgun which Knox deftly caught.

"What!? No you don't!" Ava clawed at her thigh where, sure enough, her dart gun rested. Knox laughed happily.

"Nope! But you bought it. Hook, line, and sinker." While Knox could not see her face, he was absolutely positive she was fuming under the reflective, yellow hood.

He was right.

"You- you- ARRGHH!" The speakers in the stealth suit crackled with her fiery annoyance. "Come on," she pushed Knox aside and strode through the door into the next car.

Knox gave a short, content laugh before turning to follow her out the door. Much to his surprise Ava was frozen in the doorway where he nearly barreled into her and knocked her into the smoking chasm that had once been a train car.

Ava caught herself by grabbing onto Knox's arm and pulling herself back from the edge. "What the hell happened?!"

Knox shook his head sadly. It had been a passenger car. He sighed. "Fuckers blew the whole thing up. Damn."

Ava looked between him, the gap, and back. "Well that's just great! How the fuck are we supposed to get across? Great! Really, just great! You know what this is?"

"Great?" suggested Knox as unhelpfully as possible.

"Fucking gre- Hey! Fuck you, Knox!"

"Shh. No more talking." Knox silenced Ava with a wave of his hand before taking a few steps back. Ava watched him curiously. What was he up to? Knox tossed the shotgun aside and shook his head a few times. Almost like he was psyching himself up.

"Knox..." she asked hesitantly. "What are you doing?"

Knox didn't answer, but instead rocked back on his heels before taking off full speed directly at her.

"Knox? OH NO! NO! NO!" Knox caught Ava in the chest with a full on tackle. The two of them sailed through the air and across the gap. Ava slammed into the charred floor across the way, Knox on top of her.

The air rushed out of her lungs and she gasped for a moment. That crazy bastard! She looked over at him. He was hauling himself over the ledge to get back to his feet.

Before he could, however, shots began to ring out, the wood around the two exploding. Ava scurried back into cover and Knox sank low, back over the edge. More of the robbers on their decaying horses were galloping up towards the train and taking shots at the two.

"Ava, listen to me," Knox said urgently. "Head for the front of the train. Make sure Clinton is alright. The train _needs_ to keep moving or everyone is screwed!"

More bullets chipped away around Knox. A few even ricocheted off his armor.

"What about you?" she shouted back to him.

He flashed her an unworried grin. "What about me? I got this." Knox winked at her before releasing his hold on the train. He dropped like a stone and was gone. Ava lunged for him, but hadn't a chance of reaching him.

"KNOX!" she screamed. Bullets started to ping off the stealth suit's armored weave. Ava could feel the painful impacts through the suit, but she barely noticed. She could only stare at where Knox had been. Until...

Just over the roar of the train and the shooting of the robbers she could hear... laughter?

She could hear the lunatic laughing! He was under the train! The goddamned man was deranged.

"KNOX!" she shouted angrily, but the only reply was the rattling of the train. "Rrrrraaaaghhhh!" Ava growled before activating her stealth field and rolling backwards out the line of fire.

"I am so going to kill you!" she howled at the floor before kicking in the door to the next car.

The robbers all whirled around to see an empty doorway. One took a few cautious steps forward. Ava punched him the throat and watched the man gasp for breath. His comrades all looked to him. She decloaked and fired a trio of shots from Perforator into another's chest. As soon as he fell she pushed the gasping one forward and ran behind him, using the choking man as cover.

When she was in range of the last few robbers she vaulted up over the first's back on one hand and spun around, whipping her legs into their faces. They all snapped back stumbling around. She landed in their midst and raised her stealth field. Before they had a chance to react she rolled beneath a table out of their view line.

The robbers all began to fire amongst themselves, spraying the floor with the lead. It was the first man, the choking one, who eventually calmed himself enough to get everyone to stop firing.

"Hold fire! Hold fire!" he shouted, smacking at the guns of his fellow robbers. "Stop it! I said STOP IT! CEASE FUCKING FIRE!"

The robbers stopped shooting aimlessly and looked to their new leader.

"Whoever... whatever... the fuck that was is around here somewhere. Invisible," he explained to them. He motioned for everyone to be calm before addressing the apparently empty room. "Wherever the fuck you're hiding. We're gonna find you! And then we're gonna-"

His threats were interrupted by the shouting of one of the other robber's as he sank to the floor, his legs no longer able to support himself. He grabbed frantically at a table to try and keep his balance, but toppled over nonetheless. A dart was sticking out of thigh.

"What the fuck?" asked the group leader. He felt a stinging pain in his neck. He reached up and pulled a second dart out of himself. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground.

Ava uncloacked standing above his body. Her feet planted on either side of his neck. She slid another dart into the dart gun, daring the two robbers still standing to make a move. "Who's next?"

The first man to react caught a dart directly in the forehead. His eyes crossed to look at it before rolling back. Before the others could react, Ava was already running at them. She cloaked and slid along the ground as they brought their guns to bare and started firing. She kicked one in the knee with a sickening crunch. He yowled and fell forwards. She decloaked, spun around on her hands and swept the last guy's legs out from under him with her own. She sprung backwards of her hands to her feet and surveyed the carnage in front of her.

One dead and five incapacitated. Not bad. Oooooh, wait. One not so incapacitated. The one she'd shot in the leg was inching towards a gun. The venom was taking its sweet time. He was dragging himself along on his elbows as quickly as he could without making too much noise.

Ava walked towards him, her padded feet making no noise. She stepped down on his hand with her heel and twisted it. He gasped in pain. "I wouldn't if I were you. You're prospects of living are significantly higher if you just lay there. Someone should be able to get you an antidote in time if you just relax."

He glared up at her hatefully. "Or not." She gracefully stepped off his hand and kicked him in the head as he lunged for the gun. The robber collapsed, unconscious.

"I'm getting good at this mercy thing."

Ava congratulated herself and turned to move towards the next car. She reached for the handle before the door (and a good portion of the car) exploded around her. She was blasted back and impacted with the far wall. Her vision swam and she could taste blood in her mouth. The suit had taken the brunt of the force, but it still hurt like crazy. She tried to peer through the smoke, but between it and her vision she couldn't see a damned thing.

She tore the hood off and spat out a glob of blood and rubbed her gloved hands in her eyes, trying to clear her vision. She looked into the smoke and could see someone moving through it.

The robber was clad in full metal armor. Spikes jutted from his shoulders and his metal helmet had the words "bad-ass" scrawled across it in charcoal. He was hefting a rocket launcher on his shoulder.

"Oh fuck," she murmured. Ava lunged to the side of the car towards a window as the rocket launcher bloomed fire and death and the rocket streamed towards her. She impacted the window, shielding her face from the glass as the rocket detonated on the wall where she'd been a moment ago. The blast carried out of the train and into the open air.

Ava slammed into the dirt with a cry of pain, but almost immediately felt a tug on her leg and she felt herself being dragged forwards. She looked in panic and found, to her surprise, Knox holding on and hauling her towards the undercarriage.

His face was contorted in a grimace of pain and effort as he pulled her towards himself.

"Hang on Ava!" With a shout and a swing Knox rocked his body towards her and threw her up with all his might. Ava sailed up and over the edge of the destroyed car before slamming down in the burnt wood.

"A little help?" cried Knox as he waved his hand up for assistance. Ava wrapped her hands around his wrist and planted her feet to pull him up. Knox got an elbow up and nodded at her in thanks. She was about to nod back when a small, metallic item the size of fist rolled in between them.

"Oh bugger," Knox said quietly. Ava threw herself away from the grenade, releasing Knox in the process. "AVA!" he shouted in shock as he fell back to the dirt. He rolled along in the dust. As he tumbled along he could see the train speeding away.

Ava rolled back into a depression in the floor caused by the rocket blast. She threw her hood up and curled into a ball. The explosion from the grenade was deafening and that was _with_ the protection of the hood.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," she heard the armored robber chanting.

Cloaked, she stuck her head above the lip of the hole. The bastard was walking forward through the wreckage, kicking bits of blasted wood around. She would have to handle this tactfully. That armor would protect from both the dart gun and Perforator, the silenced rifle just didn't have the penetrating power she needed.

What she needed, Ava realized, was some significantly heavier weaponry. Preferably explosives... Just like the ones the armored prick had strapped all over himself. A bloodthirsty smile lit up her face.

Her rapidly forming plan certainly had its merits. It was going to be fun. And loud.

_Very_ loud.

_Sorry to end on a cliffhanger like that, but this chapter was shaping up to be waayyyy too long. Expect one maybe more two chapters of this train heist thwarting goodness. After that, well, you'll just have to wait and see. Though I will let you in on one thing. I for the love of all that is holy cannot wait to get these two to New Vegas. That will not however (unfortunate as it may be) will not be in this story. It'll be in the threequel though. Questions, comments, concerns? Send me a message or leave a review. Reviews are both appreciated and help draw more attraction to the story. I know some of you like it (people keep reading my new chapters) so those of you that do leave a review so more people will see it and read it. Shameless plug over._


	7. Catching a Train

_I do apologize for how long it has taken me to post this chapter. It's been a real busy two weeks. Between work and school I've either had no time or been too utterly exhausted to write. And I really didn't know how to write this chapter! So consider this my apology and a promise. I have seven days of free time coming up before it's back to the grind. Goal is to post three chapters minimum in that time._

_Now on to questions!_

_What do you listen to (if at all) while you write?_

_ Great question! I consistently listen to Electro Swing Volume 4, 5, and 6 by Bart and Baker. I feel that the jazzy/techno vibe fits Fallout super well and really gets me in the mindset._

_Now then. The chapter. Read, review, enjoy!_

April 21, 2280

06:20

Kentucky

Next to Clinton's Train

Knox scrabbled and rolled in the dirt trying to stop himself as the train continued to hurtle forward without him. Beyond the rattle of the train wheels on the tracks he could hear a pounding in the dust. As his feet went over his head again he caught an inverted view of the world. Thundering towards him were three of the horseman who hadn't yet mounted the train. Their horses snorted and the riders were shouting as they approached him.

Great.

Knox grit his teeth and snagged his fingers into the dirt. He felt rocks tear into his gloves, but succeeded in flipping himself over back to his feet. He slid for a few more feet and came to a stop. In one fluid motion he twisted around with his pistols drawn, firing.

The first few shots went wild causing the cowboys to scatter, but he merely readjusted his stance and tagged one of the riders in the chest several times. The other two pounded past him, whooping and shooting in the air. Intimidation tactics might have worked on the rest of the passengers, but Knox remained steadfast.

He caught the rogue horse by the reins and flipped himself up onto the saddle. His heels kicked planted into the dead robber's chest and ejected him from the ghoulish beast.

"Hee-yah, horsie!" He snapped the reins. The horse reared, its hooves in the air, and pounded off after the train. Knox dug his heels into the horse, urging it forward faster.

Ahead, the two remaining horsemen peered back to see him tearing after them. One swore and began to fire wildly behind him. Bullets whizzed passed Knox. He sunk lower in the saddle and spurred the horse on again.

He neared the robbers and tried to level his pistol on them, but one of the two robbers had pulled a grenade out. He pulled the pin out with his teeth and released the explosive. Knox watched the lever lift and spring off as the grenade landed in the dirt.

"Ah, fuck," he spat through ground teeth. He swung his legs up onto the saddle and stood in an uncomfortable crouch.

"This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea! THIS IS A BAD IDEA!' Knox screamed as his horse strode over the grenade. The horse screamed as the it went off and its front legs collapsed as its hind quarters slung up. Knox sprang up and into the air his arms pinwheeling out of control.

His descent brought him near the robber who had dropped the grenade, but not far enough. Knox slammed down on the rear of the horse, his legs hanging off in the back. He grabbed a hold of the man's belt and clung on for dear life. The robber felt the extra weight and looked behind to see a dust covered Knox looking up at him murderously. The robber slashed back at Knox with the reins.

Knox howled as they whipped across his face. He tried to let go, but his hand was caught in rope coiled on the robber's belt. Knox spun around, trying to dodge the snapping reins. He scrabbled at his sheathe and pulled out Blood-Nap. He slashed down on the rider's leg, causing him to scream in pain and also succeeding in uncoiling the rope.

Knox splayed out in the dirt as the horses kept riding. The pile of rope sat next to him, rapidly dwindling away. One end was still attached to the horse. And the other was still wrapped around his rest. Knox sat up with a groan, fixing his hat and rubbing his neck. He sighed in defeat and scratched his chin. As he lowered his hand he noticed the rope wrapped several times around his wrist. Then he noticed the quickly shrinking amount of rope next to him.

"Ah, fuck."

The rope snapped taught, pulling his arm forward and nearly out of its socket. Knox shot forward being ignominiously dragged by the rider and his horse. He smashed through clumps of dirt and cactus, the most he could do was protect his face.

A particularly hard rock slammed into his shoulder. This time it did dislocate.

"Alright..." he hissed in pain. "Time to get off the ground."

Knox pulled A Light Shining In Darkness from its holster, the sunlight glinting off its polished barrel. He took a deep breath as bits of dirt and rock stung against his face. The shaking of the barrel slowed as he trained it on the rider dragging him along.

The two robbers were laughing with each other at Knox's misfortune. Then one of their heads exploded. Then the other. Their corpses tumbled off their former mounts and rolled in the dirt. Knox twisted himself around until his feet were facing front. He planted one foot one of the horseman and the other on his dead comrade. Once more he pushed himself into the air.

Using the rope around his wrist he pulled himself onto one of the horses. He slashed the bonds with his knife one handed and then cradled his arm to his stomach. He scrabbled through the pouches on the saddle until he found what he was looking for.

"There we go, that should do it." He pulled out some scavenged Med-X and stabbed it into his thigh. It brought the pain down to a bearable level.

"Time to get back on the train."

Unmolested by robbers, Knox thundered after Clinton's train.

"Clinton, you better still be alive!"

Ava stuck her head above the lip of her hiding place in the crater that was formerly a train car. The armored robber was still stalking about in the ruins on the other end. She carefully lifted herself up, trying not to disturb the rubble. She planted a foot and carefully walked towards the robber.

He swung towards her, his rocket launcher pointed at a threatening angle. She froze before reminding herself that the man couldn't see her. He was just looking around. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all, she told herself.

Slowly stepping through the blasted train car she got closer and closer to the robber who continued to fruitlessly yell for her to come out.

Yeah. Right. Like that was going to happen.

Ava got within a few feet of the armored robber and was immediately thankful for the hood she was wearing. The man reeked! She didn't want to think about what he'd smell like without the hood drawn up over her face.

It wasn't like she regularly smelled wonderful. She could count the number of baths she'd had on one hand before moving into Tenpenny Tower. After the Tower, well, that was an easier number. It was zero. But still. She had never, ever smelt like this man.

She'd be doing his comrades a favor by killing him she decided. He'd probably smell better dead. And with that she snaked a finger on each hand through the pins on the grenades on his belt. With a small tink they came lose. Ava threw herself away from the man with a savage laugh. She decloaked just as the man whirled around in horror. She waved a hand at him with the grenade pin spinning around her finger as she disappeared into the next car.

The explosion rocked the train as the grenades went off and subsequently caused his other explosives to meet a similar fate. Blood and soot rained against the window.

Ava couldn't help, but gleefully giggle until she turned around. The cabin was crowded with robbers. They all whirled towards her in surprise. Ava gulped. Wonderful. A crowd full of people who wanted to kill her.

Wait! On the ground. Who was that?

It was the waitress, tied up and tossed on the floor. Yep, she decided. A crowd full of people who wanted to kill her. Ava did feel genuinely bad about blowing the waitress off earlier, but maybe saving her would make up for that.

Allowing that she could in fact save the waitress.

Before the robbers could react, Ava sprang into action. She drove her fist into the first man's nose before whirling around on one heel, sticking her other leg into the air, and wrapping it around the throat of a masked women trying to stab her.

She brought her leg down with a sickening snap and drew Perforator, leveling the silenced weapon at the gang. It's barrel spat quiet death into the robbers. She threw herself towards the left of the car as the robbers began to get their bearings. She cloaked in midair and as she landed on the floor, rolled back to the right side of the car.

The feint had worked. All the robbers eyes had followed her to the left, so when she sprang up onto the tables along the right side they were blindsided. She fired amidst them before jumping at the whole midst, still invisible.

With her arms spread out wide she caught the lot of them in neck, plunging the whole group to the ground. She kicked and punched and stabbed, screaming wildly the whole time. The robbers hadn't a chance. Her cloak began to flicker on and off struggling to cope with all the interactivity between her hits and the flailing mass of people on the floor.

Time had seemed to slow, almost stop as she brawled and fought, but quickly enough it was over. She was surrounded by either corpses, the unconscious, or those few smart enough to pretend to be unconscious.

"Er... um... help?"

Ava looked up from her position on the floor. One final robber had the waitress in hand with a gun on her head. Wonderful. They were playing with hostages again.

She slowly stood up with her hands raised.

"Let her go and I promise I'll only kill you a little."

The waitresses eyes widened in recognition and surprise even with Ava's voice being filtered by the stealth suit. The robber, however, was less than inclined to listen.

"Shut up, you... whatever you are... And stay visible! I'm in control here."

The gun was shaking. Ava rolled her eyes. "Did you not just see what I did to all your buddies here? You're next. Unless of course you let her go."

"I said shut up!" The man was casting his eyes back and forth. The waitress had clammed up with the robber's hand around her throat. "Put your weapons down! Then... then go back out that door."

"Fine, fine. You're in control here," Ava said sarcastically. She slowly bent down, one hand gently putting Perforator on the ground, the other slowly reaching for the dart gun. She nudged Perforator forward with her foot. The robber's eyes tracked it across the floor.

Ava shot up straight, whipping the dart gun up. It's mechanism twanged and the dart shot forward, burying itself in the gun hand of the robber. He shouted in surprise and swung his hand around, but it refused to do his bidding and fire.

Ava sprinted for him, grabbing the gun and wrenching it away. Fingers snapped in the process. None were hers. She pointed the gun down and fired twice. Once into each of the man's kneecaps. He collapsed, weeping. One swift blow to the head later and the weeping stopped too.

Ava turned to the waitress, gently taking her arm and guiding her to a chair. Her clothes were torn and bloodied, but she seemed unharmed.

"That's... uh, you in there, right?" she asked nervously.

"Oh right!" exclaimed Ava. She pulled the hood off and looked at the waitress with a bashful smile. The waitress breathed freely in relief.

Ava sat next to her. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry," she started. The waitress looked at her, completely baffled. "For last night I mean," explained Ava. "I was really rude and you were so nice and I was trying to make a good impression and then Knox made me so mad. I'm just... sorry."

The waitress just stared at her for a few silent seconds in disbelief before uttering a short, "oh."

Ava stood up, pulling her hood back into place. "Anyway, just wanted to let you know. I have to go see if Clinton's okay. Maybe I'll see you around?" Ava sealed the hood, blushing madly, and trying to play it off like she was cool. She stepped over the robber she'd shot in the hand and glanced the dart. That was a _really_ good shot. Almost Knox-like. Wait a minute...

What had happened to Knox?

The ghoul-horse's breathing was getting ragged as Knox pulled up alongside the train. He was nearing the destroyed car that he'd been thrown off in the first place. Ava was nowhere to be seen, but neither was the armored robber. Instead there were just scraps of bloody meat thrown around.

He was just going to assume that wasn't Ava.

"Be free my friend," shouted Knox as he leaped off the horse and back on the train. With a loud, "OW," he landed on his injured arm with a sickening pop.

"Ahhhh, arm's back in its socket," he moaned while tentatively wiggling his fingers. Everything was in working order. A very painful, but working order. He got to his knees and slowly pushed himself all the way up, dusting his pants off.

"Time to go find Ava," he said to himself. He walked casually through the bloody carnage towards the next car where even more bodies were waiting for him.

"Holy shit," he muttered as he looked around the car. Bodies were strewn all over the place. The floor, the tables, one hanging out a window, and one survivor sitting all shellshocked at the end.

The waitress.

"Uh, hi," started Knox uncertainly.

The waitress looked at him, blinking in surprise. "She went that way." The waitress jerked her thumb at the door.

Knox nodded uncomfortably and edged towards the door.

"Wait." Knox froze. The waitress was looking at him, biting her lip. "Would you tell her thank you for me? I didn't have a chance earlier."

Knox gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course."

Ava crept through the remaining cars which were oddly deserted. No passengers and no robber's just... empty. The silence was actually starting to get on her nerves until she heard angry talking just before the engineering car.

She slowly walked up to the door and peered through. Clinton was standing with his arms crossed staring down the barrel of a pistol. He looked entirely unimpressed. Another man stood guard with a combat shotgun and the last, well, she was guessing that was the leader.

He stood with his back to the rest of them. He had a leather jacket with the sleeves cut off and embroidered on the back was some sort of weird lizard. His brown hair was shaved close on the sides and rose up above his head. In his hands was a baseball bat, nails decorating the end of it in bloody majesty. Ava could faintly hear them talking amongst themselves.

"I say we just shoot the zombie and take the train, boss."

"That's because you're an idiot. He's one of the only people still alive (if you can call it that) who knows how to run a train. We need him to be willing."

"Right. _Willing,_" snorted the robber with his gun trained on Clinton in reply to the boss. "How many fingers do you think we can take before he agrees to work with us, Mack?"

Wait a minute. Mack?

"I say four. What do you say, Wally? Do I start cutting?"

_Wally _Mack? How the hell did Wally Mack get out in the middle of Kentucky?

Ava watched as the robber boss turned around. It was indeed Wally Mack. Former Vault 101 inhabitant, Tunnel Snake, and certainly not a friend of Ava's. Butch had over time turned into one of her most loyal companions, but the rest of his gang she would gladly push off a cliff.

Wally walked over towards Clinton. "What about you, ghoul? How many of your fingers do you think we take before you agree to work with us? Eh?"

Clinton just stared at him in contempt. Wally shook his head and turned his back on him again.

Shit, this was bad. They were going to start torturing Clinton! And she didn't know where Knox was and she didn't know what to do and FUCK! This is what always happened when she tried to do something good. She just couldn't fucking do it!

Ava grit her teeth inside the hood. No. That was the old her. She was _going_ to save Clinton. She had to.

But how? She stood back from the door and looked around for another way into the engineering cabin. Windows to the exterior? No. Underneath? No. Wait! There! An air vent.

The engineering cabin put out more heat than the rest of the cars asides the actual engine. The ventilation system went up above the door and into the car through several access points. Access points plenty large enough for her to fit through.

With a practiced jump she leaped up, hooking her fingers into the grate. She yanked down and felt the bolts give way and the grate come off. She set it silently on the ground before jumping back up and hauling herself into the vent.

She slithered along until she could peer down above Wally and his goons. She was stretched out along the air vent rather uncomfortably, but didn't dare shift much for fear of causing noise. She slowly drew the dart gun and sighted up through the grating. Right on Wally Mack's neck.

Stupid bastard.

She pulled the trigger. The dart started to leave the gun until the train rattled violently on the tracks. Ava flew up into the top of the vent before falling down through the grating. The dart flew wide, striking a steam valve. The valve burst and steam started spewing into the car. As Ava fell she could see a man running through the previous car as the window fogged up.

It was Knox. He couldn't see what he was running into.

The thought was driven out of her head as landed with a thud on the ground. She was still cloaked, but Wally's men had certainly heard something.

Time seemed to slow as the guard raised his combat shotgun towards the door Knox was opening. Clinton was trying to quietly move for a screwdriver, but Wally could see him.

And Ava was caught right in the middle of it.

Oh boy.

_Again I apologize for how long it took me to write and post this. It's hard to write a substantial chapter that doesn't have a lot of dialogue in it. However, we powered through and now we can get back to a more regular schedule. Isn't that cool? I also wanted to give a big thank you to you guys and girls out there. The feedback and love I get for this series is more than I ever expected. Thanks a lot._


	8. Venomous

_Heyo guys and gals! How you doing? Good? Good. Me? I'm great! Because I have a brand new chapter for you! Read, enjoy, review!s_

April 21, 2280

06:35

Kentucky

Engineering Car

Ava scrabbled to her feet as Knox pushed through the door. Everything was going wrong! Too much was happening at once.

"Knox! Look out!" she screamed. He recognized her voice and had the reflexes to not be surprised, but he simply had nowhere to go. The combat shotgun was already raised and pointed at him. His armor was tough, but at this range it wasn't enough.

Behind her Clinton made the move for the screwdriver, but at the same time Wally was winding up with his baseball bat to put the ghoul down for good.

Come on, Ava, she told herself. Move. MOVE!

Her leg muscles tightened and she hurled herself between Knox and the robber with the shotgun. She twisted in the air, one hand grasping at Stab-happy. With a quick flick of her wrist she sent it spinning towards Wally. Her free hand tried to bring Perforator up to aim. She felt her muscles spasm and strain, but she kept raising the rifle and pulling the trigger.

Perforator puffed at the man with his gun trained on Clinton, Stab-happy whirled through the air, and Ava sailed in front of Knox.

The robber in front of Clinton fell backward as bullets tore through his side. Wally's swing went wide as Stab-happy tore into his bicep. The third robber pulled the trigger on the shotgun. It boomed and slung back into the robber's chest. The shot spread out through the cabin towards Ava and Knox.

It pounded against the stealthsuit's armored chest and midriff. Bits tore through the kevlar weave in her sleeves and sides. The hood visor shattered, spraying yellow glass into her face. She felt blood well up along her hairline and start dripping down her face.

"Ava!" shouted Knox as her cloak failed and she slammed into the ground, unmoving. He knelt down next to her protectively and emptied his magazine into the man with the shotgun. "Ava, come on, girl. Talk to me!"

Clinton slugged Wally in the face with his fist. Wally stumbled back, clutching at Stab-happy, but it's serrated blade wasn't giving up its hold.

"You try to rob my train? You piece of shit!" He gave Wally another punch across the face. Wally stared at him hatefully, but was smart enough not to make a move.

Knox continued to shake Ava's arm. He breathed a sigh of relief as her eyelids fluttered. He picked some of the glass out of her face. "You doing okay? Stupid question. You just got shot."

"I can't see," she muttered weakly. Talking hurt. There were definitely some fractured ribs in there.

"Here. Let me help." With his sleeve Knox brushed some of the blood out her eye. "I have a feeling that's going to need some stitches." With his other hand he gently pulled the hood off her head. "Up you get, slowly now."

He helped her into a sitting position.

"Holy shit. Ava Mitchell. I do not believe this."

Knox and Ava looked up at Wally who was still clutching his wounded arm. Knox in confusion and Ava in hate. "And you are?" asked Knox.

Wally opened his mouth, but Ava cut him off. "Wally Mack. Asshole supreme turned train robber."

Wally smirked obnoxiously at her. "Glad you remember me, Little Miss 101. I could have sworn you were dead."

"That'd be the second time you thought that and the second time you were wrong."

Knox looked between the two of them, quickly deducing the unhappy history between the two. "I take it you know each other."

Wally laughed scornfully. "Oh, yeah we know each other. Almost our entire lives. I was there when she being a little daddy's girl in the Vault," Ava's eyes hardened. "I was there when she killed my brother and I was there when that stupid dyke she was friends with kicked her out of the Vault."

"Don't you dare talk about her!" Ava's voice was dripping with venom.

"Or what? You're going to sh-"

The pistol banged before Wally had a chance to finish. The shot tore through his uninjured arm and he fell backward on the ground, screaming.

"Yes," she said simply.

"Damn, Ava," muttered Knox before realizing she was holding his gun. "Hey, where'd you get-"

Ava pushed the pistol into his hands. "Help me to my feet, Knox. I need to have a word with Wally."

Knox tried to gauge how murderous she was feeling, but couldn't get a good read. He pulled her up, supporting her on his good side. They approached the fallen robber laying on the ground. He was clutching his wounds and moaning piteously.

Ava kicked him in the side, nearly overbalancing. "Oh, shut it."

Wally wisely chose to close his mouth.

"You were a jerk to me in the Vault then Wally and you're a bigger jerk now, but let me tell you something. I killed your brother because he was trying to kill me. I got kicked out of the Vault for saving _all_ of you. The only reason you aren't dead right now is because I'm trying to be a better person AND YOU'RE REALLY MAKING THAT HARD FOR ME!"

The last part was shouted at the downed man. Ava took a deep breath to steady herself.

"However, it's not entirely up to me whether you live or not. What's that patch on your back Wally?"

Wally looked confused for a moment, but realization dawned and his eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

Ava knelt down next to him and wrapped her fingers around Stab-happy's hilt and gave a slight pull on it. Wally's brow furrowed in pain. "What. Is it?" She pulled harder on the blade.

"It's a lizard! It's a lizard," Wally howled.

"Not a snake?"

"NO! NOT A SNAKE!"

Ava wrenched Stab-happy from his arm. Wally screamed briefly before passing out. Ava cleaned her blade on his pants before sheathing it.

"Just checking. Butch would want to know."

Ava looked away from the unconscious Wally to Knox and Clinton. They were both staring at her somewhat apprehensively.

"What?" asked Ava innocently. "Once a Tunnel Snake, always a Tunnel Snake."

It was well into the afternoon when the train was finally underway again. Clinton and his crew had to detach the destroyed cars, check on the survivors, and clear out the dead, but eventually the engine started once more and they continued down the line.

Clinton had been gracious enough to give Knox and Ava a private car and a heap of medical supplies for the ride back along with "anything and everything on the house" as the ghoul had put it.

Knox sat back in a comfortable chair with his feet up on a stool in front of him. His chest plate and arm armor was piled on the floor next to him with his hat resting on top. His injured arm was trussed up in a sling and he was sipping on a strong alcoholic beverage in lieu of any strong painkillers.

Ava was sitting in her underwear cross legged on a table. Her ribs and chest were wrapped up tightly in a series of bandages designed to lesson the strain on her bruised and fractured ribs. She had gauze patches taped to her arms where the shotgun had penetrated her armor. The stealth suit sat sadly on the floor next to her. She wasn't even sure if she (or anyone) could repair it.

Knox watched her chew on her lip in concentration. In one hand she held a large, broken piece of mirror. In the other she had a needle and thread which she was using to carefully stitch up the gash on her forehead.

"You sure you don't want a hand with that?" he asked, taking another sip from his drink.

She didn't look at him, but remained focused on her needlework. "Nah, I've got it. I'm a doctor's kid," she explained, "I'm good at this sort of thing."

"Right," Knox answered, eying her apprehensively. She didn't see the look, but she read the silence and received the message anyway.

"What? Don't believe me? I helped you earlier. You let me pop your arm back into its socket correctly, didn't you?"

Knox nearly spat out his drink. "You didn't ask me. You just did it! That's not helping, that's assault!"

Ava tied a knot in the string and shrugged. "Whatever."

The door opened and in walked the waitress. She had a platter with another one of Knox's drinks and a milkshake for Ava. She gave Ava a small smile which Ava returned, blushing. She didn't say anything, just set their drinks down on the table and exited. She had a little extra sway in her step as she left.

Knox snorted as he noticed Ava's stunned expression glued on the waitress's shapely rear. "God. Teen love makes me want to vomit."

Ava stuck her tongue out at him and threw the spool of thread she had been using at him. "You're drunk."

"And my opinion is still valid," he slurred in reply.

"I thought you hated drinking because of Courier 6."

"Ex... exten... ex-ten-uating circumstances apply. Clinton has no good drugs."

Ava pouted her face and rubbed her eyes in a mocking manner. "Wah, I'm Knox. I got dragged behind a horse." She laughed as Knox closed his eyes to ignore her. "I got blown up, shot, punched, blown up again, shot again and you don't hear me complaining."

"Well aren't you just tough shit."

Ava smiled contentedly at the almost compliment. "Thank you, Knox."

"You're welcome," he mumbled.

"But seriously. You probably shouldn't be drinking. If that was your, I mean his, whatever, vice than you should keep away from it. I mean, I know you'd keep me away from chems if I ever looked like I was going to relapse."

Knox gave her a smile. "Thanks for looking out for me." She returned the smile, but then frowned in displeasure as Knox swiped her milkshake off the table and started sipping from it. In retaliation she took his drink and took a swig from it. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise and she found she quite liked the fruity, alcoholic drink.

"So Knox, assuming nothing bad happens during the rest of this journey, where to next?"

Knox leaned out of the chair and reached into his satchel. He pulled a battered map out and flicked it to her.

"Have your PipBoy scan that." Ava bent over and snagged her PipBoy from where it lay on the floor. She started fiddling with it while waiting for Knox to continue.

"Rail line ends in Oklahoma City, a big population and commerce center. We'll gear up there and then head into Texas on foot, then into New Mexico, then Arizona, and finally Nevada."

Ava nodded. Her PipBoy dinged as it finished analyzing Knox's map of the US and all its little notations and marks. He'd certainly been all over the place.

Knox slipped back into quietness and Ava managed not to interrupt it. Instead she started to check over her weaponry. Stab-happy was fine. If anything managed to damage that blade she'd be immensely surprised. The dart gun's elastic band was looking a little worse for wear, but that should be easy to replace. Perforator just needed a good cleaning and it would be right back up to top condition.

The stealth suit, however...

The hood was completely fractured, the armor was dented and the kevlar weave was torn. The stealth generators were struggling to even put up a field. For such an amazing piece of technology, it wasn't able to handle being purposefully put in harms way. That was the whole reason for the stealth function.

"We can get it repaired."

Knox's voice broke her out of her reverie. He was watching her stare at the stealth suit with a depressed look on her face.

"I don't know, Knox," she said uncertainly. "It's really complex. I've only ever been able to repair the weave, but the stealth plates and stuff, I don't even know."

Knox gave her a small grin. "Have faith. There's a man I know. His name is Rhombus. If anyone can repair it it's him."

"You really think so?"

"I certainly do."

Ava allowed the small flicker of hope to grow. For only having used the stealth suit for a short while, she was hugely attached to it. Knox was right. Her weapons and armor were her life. If she treated them right, they'd treat her right.

Still though...

She still felt that she needed her own piece of history. Everything was her's now, but had been someone else's at some other point. Knox may have been okay with that, but she wanted something new. Something only hers.

"What's on your mind, Ava?"

Knox was still watching her sit in silence. He could tell something was up because she wasn't chattering about some inane topic.

"Nothing, Knox. Nothing."

Knox shrugged. "If you say so. But if you do want to talk, it's not like I'm going anywhere."

"I'm alright, Knox."

Knox nodded and went back to drinking Ava's milkshake. Several more seconds of silence settled on the train car until Ava couldn't hold it in.

"Well, I guess-"

"Knew it."

"Quiet," she commanded. "My weapons. They're mine, but they're not. Someone else had them before me. It feels wrong. I need something mine. Only mine."

Knox nodded thoughtfully. "I have a solution."

Ava looked at him in surprise. "You... do?"

"I do indeed. Oklahoma City, what did I say about it?" he quizzed her.

"Population and commerce center," she answered.

He pointed at her and gave her a thumbs up. "Exactly. Commerce center. And in a commerce center there are plenty of business including..." He trailed off and looked at her expectantly.

She looked at him and held her hands up in confusion and shrugged.

"Weapons smiths!" he exclaimed. "Weapon smiths. We'll get you something new. Something shiny and new. New and shiny."

Ava perked up in excitement. "Like what? Oh my god! What can we get?"

Knox mimed zipping his lips. "That... is a surprise. I'm going to surprise you."

"Knox! No!"

"Sorry, Ava, but that's the way it's going to be. A surprise gift."

"Gift?"

Knox nodded earnestly. "Yep. A gift. You saved me today and I want to get you a gift... for saving me. Right? Right."

Ava giggled as Knox's tongue stumbled over itself. "You are _so_ drunk, Knox."

Knox's head dropped back into his seat. "I am _so _drunk," he agreed.

The sun had set by the time Knox woke up. He blearily opened his eyes and assessed his surroundings. Ava was curled up on a bench, snoring. Besides her, the car was deserted. He sat up, accidentally elbowing his glass off the arm rest. With his good arm he quickly snatched it up before it shattered on the ground.

His eyes flicked over to Ava. Nothing. She hadn't even noticed. He shifted himself into a more comfortable position and tried to close his eyes again.

Just as his lids closed he heard unhappy muttering over the rattle of the train. He looked back to Ava. Her brow was furrowed and she was incoherently mumbling under her breath. Whatever it was, it was clearly disturbing her. She started to shiver. The car had cooled down during the night.

Knox rose to his feet and closed the windows. He noticed a pile of blankets left on the floor. The waitress again, he was guessing. He grabbed one and crossed over to Ava. He gently laid it down over her and returned to his seat.

He watched her for a few more moments until the muttering stopped. He'd never wish what happened to him on anyone, but there were times where he wondered if Ava would be better off without all the memories of what had happened to her.

Ava shifted and buried herself further in the blanket. Knox sighed.

"Sleep well, Ava. At least one of us still can," he whispered.

Knox closed his eyes once more. Hidden behind those tired lids were the faces of all the people he couldn't remember.

Dancing.

Taunting.

Waiting for the return of Courier 6.

_And boom goes the dynamite. Another chapter up and posted. Go me. Really let's just hear it for me. I'm awesome. Just kidding. You know who's really awesome? You guys! Want to be more awesome? Give the story a favorite or a follow, or even better a review telling me what you liked and didn't like. Have a question? Send me a PM and I will answer it. Depending on how good it is, it might even be featured in the next chapter. See ya later!_


	9. Clarity

_And here we are! The next chapter. You guys are slacking in the question department, or I've just been updating too fast. Oh well. But any hoo-ha, have a new chapter! Read, enjoy, review!_

April 23, 2280

14:30

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

Ava and Knox stood on the edge of the platform, waving goodbye to Clinton. Ava laughed as he pulled the horn and stuck his head out the window to shout one more thank you and goodbye.

They'd arrived around 2PM in Oklahoma City. Ava had practically been bouncing off the walls of their car as the train slowed and pulled into the station.

"Are we here, Knox? Is this it?" she'd shouted eagerly.

They'd waited for the rest of the passengers to disembark before exiting their car and having a final conversation with Clinton. The waitress had been waiting for them too. She gave Ava a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing back into the train.

They stood on the deck until Clinton's train was just a speck in the distance. Knox picked his satchel up and slung it awkwardly (his arm was still in a sling). Ava, dressed in her leather pants and red shirt again, secured Perforator and tossed her duffel over one arm.

"So where to, Knox?"

Knox started walking out of the station, Ava hot on his heels. "Well, we could get some food, yeah? You're pretty much always down to eat, which, by the way, might be a bit unhealthy the way you do it."

Ava ignored the jab and nodded slowly. "Food's good. I could do food, or..." She trailed off suggestively.

Knox pretended not to understand. "Or... what?"

"Or," finished Ava, "you could get me my surprise!" Her eyes shown with a greedy glow, but her smile was genuine. Ava wasn't going to let anything happen before getting the gift Knox had drunkenly promised her.

"Well, I suppose," Knox started suggestively, "but..." He trailed off, mimicking Ava. She slugged him in his uninjured arm. "Easy! Easy, I've only got one of those at the moment."

Ava rolled her eyes and skipped a step ahead of him. "You're fine. Your arm should be all heeled up by now. Trust me."

"Sure thing doctor, but I feel like I know my arm better than you. We've been together a very long time, my arm and I."

Ava stopped and stomped her foot, her fist clenched at her side. She glared up at Knox. "Stop stalling, Knox! Where are we going?"

Knox laughed and ruffled her hair, serving to annoy Ava even more. He'd seen her painstakingly comb it on the train to get all the blood and dirt out. She denied it being for the waitress's benefit, but her lie was transparent.

"Relax, Ava. We're here."

Knox walked into the store before Ava had a chance to hit, or worse _shoot_ him. Ava gave a half-hearted kick at his retreating legs, but only made contact with air. She looked up at the beaten metal sign.

"Dominic's Forge and Store," she read quietly to herself. She draped a hand on the door and slowly pulled it open to go after Knox. She could hear the banging of a hammer on metal. It's repetitive beat reverberating through her head.

She stepped into the store. A battered fan spun in the corner providing some small relief to the customers. A jukebox in the corner crooned quietly. Knox was standing in front of the counter. He leaned on it and waved a hand majestically around the store.

Ava's eyes widened in wonder. The walls of the store were canvassed with weapons. Pistols, rifles, explosives, knives, spears...

SWORDS!

Ava homed in on the blades and dashed over to them. She eagerly pulled one off and gave it a few swings before flipping it around her back and catching it in the other hand.

"Knox," she whispered in amazement, "this is incredible! Everything here is AH-MAZING!"

"Glad you feel that way. Now... are you gonna buy something or keep playing with my merchandise?" a deep voice asked.

Ava hadn't even noticed the banging had stopped. The voice had come from behind her. It was deep and growly. She turned around sheepishly and gently set the sword back on its hooks on the wall. The old man who'd asked the question was dressed in nothing, but a pair of dirty, grease-stained jeans and a headband. He was mopping sweat off his face with an equally dirty rag.

"Dominic! How the hell are you?"

Dominic glanced over at Knox before grunting and walking over towards Ava. He shouldered her out of the way and gave the blade she'd shelved a micro adjustment.

Ava started to snap something at the rude shop keep, but Knox clamped his hand over her mouth, her curses muffled by his glove.

"Mr. Knox," said Dominic, "it's been a while. Do you have a package for me?"

With his hand still pressed over Ava's mouth, Knox replied, "I do not actually, but-"

"Then why the hell are you here?" Dominic interrupted.

"Well, I'm actually here as a customer."

Dominic turned away from the wall to look at Knox and Ava who was now in a chokehold. "I wasn't under the impression you needed a new, personal firearm."

Ava stomped on Knox's foot causing him to kick her in the knee. Ava dropped to the floor still in the chokehold. "I was actually thinking something a bit more... close quarters," he managed to get out as he struggled against Ava.

"Bullshit," barked Dominic. "The day you buy a hand to hand weapon from me is the day I retire."

Knox smiled at him, ignoring Ava tapping his elbow to signal she couldn't breath. "Well, it's not for me."

Dominic turned his glower on Ava, who was now slapping Knox's arm. "Hrm," he grunted. "Let her go before she passes out."

Knox released Ava with a grin. She immediately turned around and kicked him the shin. Her foot clanged off the armored plate there and she cursed in pain.

"Ava, here, is looking to get a sword."

Dominic rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "A sword, huh?"

"I think I broke my fucking toe." Ava was hopping on one foot, her other cradled in her hands. Knox and Dominic ignored her.

"Well, in that case," Dominic said as he pulled a large ax off the wall, "DEFEND YOURSELF!" Dominic lunged at Ava swinging the ax horizontally out in front of him. Knox shouted in surprise and stumbled backwards. Ava backflipped onto her hands and vaulted out of the way.

She landed on the counter and stared at Dominic apprehensively.

"I said 'defend yourself' girl!" He stepped forward with the ax raised over head. Just as he swung it down Ava rolled to the side and dodged it. The ax thudded into the desk top and became embedded in the wood.

Ava spun on her hands, trying to kick Dominic in the head, but the old man saw it coming and stepped back grabbing a spear off the wall. Ava in retaliation yanked an ornate Chinese blade from the wall and hopped to the ground, the sword held in front of her menacingly.

"Now we're talking," muttered Dominic. He jabbed forward experimentally, but Ava danced around outside of his range. Dominic feinted a stab at her head and swung for her legs. The shaft caught her in the knee and she fell to the floor. Dominic stepped above her and stabbed the spear down, but he hadn't been the only one feinting.

Ava rolled back to her feet as the spear sliced through the air directly in front of her face. She squared herself and swept up with her blade. It cut cleanly through the spear and stopped a hair's breadth from Dominic's throat.

"Perfect," Dominic breathed.

"Excuse me?" asked Ava, utterly bewildered.

Dominic batted the blade aside and walked over to the desk. He wrenched the ax out and tossed it to the floor unceremoniously. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a pad of paper.

"Had to get a feel for how you fight. Can't build a weapon if I don't know what it's going to be doing."

"Are you kidding me?!" Ava shouted angrily. She whirled on Knox. "Did you know he was going to do that?"

Knox raised his hands and eyed the sword Ava was still carrying. "No, no. I definitely did not know that was going to happen."

"Focus, girl!"

Ava eyes snapped back to Dominic. He was seated at the desk and was rapidly scrawling on the paper with a pen. "You like Chinese blades?"

"My name is Ava. Not girl," responded Ava, not answering the question.

"Do I look like I care, _girl_? Now answer the damn question!"

Dominic and Ava glared at each other. Their respective tempers had caused them to reach an impasse. Knox laughed uncomfortably. "I'm gonna just wait outside," he said quietly and tried to step towards the exit.

"You stay right where you are," Ava commanded before addressing Dominic again. "Yes. I used a lot of Chinese blades."

Dominic snorted. "Well too bad. You fight all wrong for a Chinese blade. You don't use two hands enough. Your power swings utilize your strength and both hands, but the rest of the time you're too quick and try to use one hand. You need something that can handle both your speed and your power. Hand and half blade."

Dominic held up his sketch pad to show a intricately drawn design. The blade was two sided with a t-shaped cross guard.

Ava looked at the drawing before simply saying, "But I like Chinese blades."

"Too damn bad. You'll take what I make you."

Ava planted her palms on the table. "Listen, you old geezer, you're going to give me whatever I fucking-HURK!"

Knox jerked Ava back by the collar of her shirt. He shoved her behind him before turning back to Dominic. "Sounds great, Dominic. Come back in three hours?"

Dominic grunted his assent as he walked back over to his forge. Ava tried to brush past Knox, but he tripped her up and started pulling her towards the door.

"Let me go, Knox! Let me hurt him!" she cried as she struggled against Knox as he dragged her towards the door.

"I thought you were trying to be a better person," Knox replied cheekily.

"I said hurt him, not kill him. Let me just break his hand or something."

They crossed through the door and back into the street. Knox set Ava upright on her feet and stood between her and Dominic's store.

"You break his hand, you don't get a sword. Trust him, Ava. Dominic might be a crotchety asshole, but he knows his stuff. Whatever he gives you, you'll love it."

Ava crossed her arms unhappily. Knox could tell she was craving some sort of physical conflict. Her body's fight or flight instincts had been going awry pretty much sense he'd taken her from DC.

She kicked a rock aggressively and growled an unhappy, "fine."

Knox guided her away from the store by the shoulder. "Let's go get a bite to eat. That'll make you less bloodthirsty."

"Doubt it," muttered Ava, but she allowed herself to be shepherded along to a small cafe serving some sort of soup. She could see bits of meat and vegetable floating in it, but none of it was particularly distinguishable.

Oh well, she'd eaten worse.

With caps in hand, Knox paid for two bowls and moved to an empty table. The cafe was quiet and dark, but in a relaxing way. A ghoul was playing guitar in the corner, her fingers strumming a pleasant tune. The soup was spicy, but still filling. Knox seemed to like it, but he actually claimed it wasn't hot enough. Ava wasn't going to pass up food, but she had more of a sweet tooth than a craving for hot stuff. Knox laughed as her eyes began to water involuntarily.

"Oh man, that's _really _hot," she exclaimed, holding her tongue out of her mouth and fanning it with her hand.

With a slurp, Knox drained the last of his bowl. "It's not that hot, you big baby."

Ava started to move to kick him under the table, but remembered what had happened the last time she'd tried that. Instead she settled for knocking his glass of water off the table into his laugh. She giggled happily as he frowned and sighed.

"It looks like you peed yourself," she unnecessarily clarified in between gasping breaths as she laughed.

"What are you, six?" Knox asked in irritation.

"Nope, but I turn twenty in four days."

"Happy fucking birthday."

It was close to six o'clock when Knox and Ava returned to Dominic's Forge and Store. Dominic didn't greet them, but instead made a vague gesture pointing towards the counter and remained at his anvil, working on another weapon. Ava's sword was resting on the counter.

The blade was nearly three feet long and the hilt almost a foot. Its sheathe was made from black, boiled leather and had an intricate silver vine flowing down to the tip. Ava slowly pulled the blade out. It's gleaming silver reflected the light from the forge and lit up her face. She held it up in awe. The sword was beautiful.

She flipped it back and forth, between hands, and behind her back. Much as she was loathe to admit it, Dominic was right. The balance and weight was much nicer than anything she'd ever used before.

The grumpy, old weapons smith caught her looking at the sword in adoration and allowed himself a small smile. "That sheathe is weighted and reinforced as well, so if you ever feel the need to beat someone to death look no further."

Ava glanced at him before picking the sheathe up as well. Dominic was right. The metal tip on the sheathe did add a hefty swinging weight. In one smooth motion Ava flipped the sword over and pulled it into the sheathe. The crossguard met the top with a quiet click.

"So I take it you're satisfied?" inquired Dominic as he walked over to Ava and Knox.

Ava could only nod at him in stunned silence

Dominic grinned in satisfaction. The expression looked out of place on his face. "Excellent. How are we going to be paying for this today?"

Knox stepped forward reaching into his satchel for caps. "That'd be me. What do I owe ya?"

"3,000 caps."

Knox paused and looked up at Dominic with narrowed eyes. "And here I was thinking I'd get a deal from you, Dominic."

"Oh, for you," Dominican said sarcastically, "it's 3,000 caps."

Knox dropped his caps bag back into his satchel. "I don't have 3,000 caps."

Dominic squared up towards Knox. "Barter works too. That's a rather nice pistol there."

"You can't have my gun. But..." Knox said thoughtfully, "I have something more valuable than what you're asking."

Dominic looked at him suspiciously. "Why do I feel like I'm not going to like this?"

Knox reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a small, brown, coin-shaped object. He set it in Dominic's outstretched hand. Ava eyed it curiously. It was a poker chip.

"That chip is worth 5,000 caps," Knox said and Dominic's eyes widened. "It's redeemable at any of the Strip's casinos."

Ava looked on in confusion. 5,000 caps in one chip? The Strip? How the hell did Knox get something like that.

Dominic looked at the chip. "Is this for real, Knox?"

"You betcha, Dom. Now please take it. I really don't have anything else to pay for the sword."

Dominic thought about it for a moment and stashed the poker chip in his pocket. "Fine. But next time why don't you bring something that doesn't require me to travel to Nevada?"

Knox ignored the complaint. "Quit complaining. That chip will hold its value longer than you'll live. Let's go, Ava."

Knox turned away from Dominic and motioned for Ava to follow. She thanked Dominic one more time before running after Knox back into the street. The sun was just beginning to set. Knox took his hat off and scratched his scar.

"So, you like it?"

Knox didn't get an answer. Instead Ava threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. Knox could feel hot tears running down her face as she pressed it into his neck. After a few moments she released him and dropped back to the ground. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, all the while smiling widely.

"I love it."

"Well... it needs a name. Got any ideas?"

Ava blushed and looked down at the ground. "Well, actually... I do," she said quietly.

"And?"

""I-well- I need- _it_," she corrected, "_it_ needs a purpose. It can't just be a weapon for other people to point and use. It has to have focus and direction. No confusion, just... clarity. So I want to name it that. Clarity, I mean. What... do you think?"

Knox smiled at her kindly. "Are we still talking about the sword here?"

Ava softly punched him in the arm. "You're an ass, Knox." She wasn't mad, she couldn't be right now. She was too damn happy.

"I like it. It's a good name." Knox clapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the setting sun. "Time to get walking."

Ava looked down at Clarity in it's sheathe. Her sword. Ava smiled and slid the sheathe through her belt. The smile didn't leave her face as she followed Knox into the sunset.

_Man, have I been on a writing binge lately. It's been good and I'm not done yet. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Clarity has been one of the things I've been looking to introduce for a long, long time. Pretty much since Ava stabbed Vance in the chest actually. Anyway, next time it's on to a new bit of adventure. There's three more main plot points I want to nail out before bringing this story to a close and moving on to Dead Man's Hand. I'm betting you could actually figure two of them out based on an earlier name drop and US geography. Who's in Texas and what's in Arizona? You'll just have to wait and see! If you liked it give it a favorite or review. Have a question? Send me a message! Till next time readers._


	10. Trail to Nowhere

_Heyo, everybody! Been busy. Moved into a new apartment. Back to school. The whole shebang. However, that hasn't tempered my desire to write; just the time available to do so. That being said, I'll try to keep to a once a week minimum update. Hopefully more! On a wholly separate note, I've been tossing the idea around of making a tumblr where I can post art of these characters. Like a scene from each chapter or some such nonsense. However, I'm not sure how that would affect my update time and such. So, if that sounds cool and you would follow it, shoot me a PM and depending on popular consensus, I will or will not do it._

_Anyhoo-ha! Questions (a lot, you guys rock)!_

_1 - Is Ava bulimic?_

_ That's a big ol' negatori! Not bulimic, that would involve the purge after the binge, but I would definitely classify her as having a binge eating disorder. Stemming from the fact that before traveling with Knox she never had large amounts of food readily available. Now she sees it and scarfs it down._

_2 – Are Knox and Ava ever gonna bang?_

_ Another big ol' negatori. Knox is like a decade older than her. And he's not really her type. What is her type you might ask? Well, so far I've only shown tiny bits of clumsy romance (the waitress on the train, or Nova back in DC), but I may explore later on what Ava's type is._

_3 – Did you base these characters off of anyone?_

_ Ava, no. Knox, I won't lie. Knox is a tall, tan, male with a mustache and a penchant for straw cowboy hats. I too am a tall, tan, male with a mustache and a penchant for straw cowboy hats._

_4 – I want to know more about certain events that have happened to Knox and Ava!_

_ Not a question, but that's okay. I've said it before and I'll say it again. One-shots are a total possibility. If you have a specific quest or something that you want to see and it won't have character spoilers I'll totally write it, just let me know._

_5 – Would you be interested in a collab? I like your OC's and I want them to meet mine!_

_ Maybe not a collab, but I'd be cool with my characters showing up in other stories or meeting other characters in mine. As long as I can give a yay or nay on the writing in question before it hits the shelves._

_Beyond on that, no more news or questions. Have fun reading!_

April 27, 2280

09:00

Texas

Carbon

Ava woke up to the scratchy feeling of straw on her face. She rolled over on the grimy mattress she had passed out on. Knox had paid for the room the night before when they'd arrived in Carbon, but it had been so late at night that Ava had practically collapsed on the bed without listening to a word Knox had been saying.

She vaguely recalled him saying something about meeting a contact before he turned in, but she hadn't been paying enough attention to actually register what he'd said. Regardless, he wasn't here now.

Observing the dimly lit room with new eyes, Ava noticed that it was a single occupancy room. Her belongings (clothes, weapons, supplies) were strewn haphazardly around on the floor. None of Knox's belongings were anywhere. Had the man even slept?

She slowly got out of bed and cracked her back before blindly groping around in the dark for her clothes. Pants by the door. Shirt on the window sill. PipBoy on the floor. Boots next.

With another yawn Ava clipped on her belt and combat harness and began to sling her weapons. Infiltrator went over her shoulder, the dart gun on her right thigh, Stab-happy in the small of her back, and... where was Clarity?!

Ava's eyes sprang open in a moment of panic as she failed to find her sword.

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no no no no!" she squeaked and dropped to her knees, looking under the table and bed.

She lifted the sheets to look under the bed, but only dust and cobwebs greeted her. She sat up, nearly on the verge of tears.

"Where did you go?! Where did... Oh."

As Ava sat back on her haunches she found the sword. Clarity lay on top of the bed. It rested in the divot her body had made in the worn mattress. Apparently she'd slept with her sword. She ran her fingers along the sleek sheathe to reassure herself it was real. She'd had the sword for less than a week, but she was already intimately familiar with it's every facet.

Ava released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She mentally chided herself. It's a sword not a security blanket. Even so, her fingers never strayed from Clarity's pommel.

She went to sit back on the edge of the bed, but ended up falling backwards over it in surprise when the door slammed open with a loud bang.

"Ava! How goes it?"

Ava sprung up on the bed in a crouch. Clarity was drawn and held menacingly in front of her. Knox stood in the doorway. His eyes were were shadowed and his mustache drooped in exhaustion. For how loudly he'd shouted his greeting he certainly looked exhausted.

"Where the fuck have you been!?"

Knox made a pained face and stumbled over to the desk chair before collapsing into it.

"Not so loud," he said weakly. "Your voice gets all screechy and obnoxious when you yell."

Ava sheathed Clarity. "It does not," she denied indignantly.

"You're right," Knox admitted. "It's not just when you yell." He leaned back and put his feet up on the bed that Ava was still perched on. She knocked them back to the floor and sat down on the edge of the mattress.

"Seriously, though," she asked again, "where _have_ you been?"

"I've been _trying_ to find my contact out here," he explained. Knox rubbed his eyes and groaned.

"Your contact? You mean the guy you said could fix my stealth suit?"

"Yeah, him."

"Wait a minute." Ava paused and cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean trying?"

Knox took his hat off and set it behind him before pulling off his satchel. It slipped from his grasp and thudded onto the floor.

"What I mean, is that I can't find him. Traces, but the trail doesn't make any sense. It's... I don't know. Guarded."

Ava raised an eyebrow. "Guarded?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah. Guarded." Knox glared at her, too tired to deal with their usual repartee. "Like he's trying to hide."

"And why doesn't that make sense?"

Knox reached down into his satchel. "Because he doesn't have to hide! No one knows he's out there!" He tossed his journal onto the desk. "Not even Courier 6. Just me." He reached back down and continued to rummage around.

Ava's face fell into a frown. What would happen if they couldn't find this 'Rhombus' guy? Would the stealth suit never get repaired?

"What now?" she asked meekly.

"Now," said Knox as he found whatever it was he was looking for, "now you come with me and we cover more goddamned ground." He stood up and a blue glow enveloped the room. Clasped in his hand was a bottle of Nuka Cola Quantum.

"Is that Quantum?" Ava asked, perking up. Her eyes were glued on the glowing bottle.

"Yes," replied Knox cautiously. "I've been up all night. I need a pick me up."

Ava licked her lips, still not looking away from the bottle. "Could... I have some?"

"If you tell me that beyond being a drug addict-"

"Hey! I'm not a drug addict anymore!" Ava interjected.

"Shut up. If you tell me that you also have a sweet tooth, I'm going to shoot both of us. First me, then you." He uncorked the bottle and took a swig.

Ava crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine," she muttered darkly.

Knox finished downing the bottle before belching. "Oh god. That stuff tastes like paint thinner. And radiation."

Ava scuffed her boots along through the dirt as she 'looked' for signs of life. Knox was crouched about fifty meters to her left, studying some tracks. She sighed in frustration. They'd been out here for three hours in the Texas heat with nothing to show for it.

Knox had insisted he'd be able to find a trail they could follow and had marched around with a Nuka fueled determination, but had yet to provide any hope.

"It makes no sense!" he insisted. "They're not hiding. At all! Rhombus is _good _at hiding. This is textbook _bad_ at hiding. Undisguised trails. Meandering paths. No care where they walk, but it doesn't go anywhere! The tracks are different too. Not like they used to be. Too light."

Despite the obvious signs of activity, Knox still hadn't picked up a good trail. Ava kicked a rock before turning on her heel and skipping over to Knox.

"Anything?"

Knox shook his head before standing up and cracking his neck. He gestured over to a small rain carved canyon. "I'm going to check in the arroyo. Maybe, _maybe_, they jumped in to circle back or something."

Ava could tell he didn't believe those words. Still, she followed him over and stood on the edge of the wash as Knox slid down into it. He carefully walked through the dried dirt and plant life before kneeling down and running his hands through the loose sediment.

With a grunt, Ava sat down on the lip and dangled her legs over the edge. She watched Knox work and tried to think of ways to remedy the situation and make it less boring.

Knox grabbed a pinch of the soil and rubbed it in his hands. "Hmmmm, ash."

Ava barely registered the comment. Knox shouted back to her over his shoulder. "You know, I could use some help."

"I am helping. I'm thinking."

"About?" Knox shuffled further into the wash and checked the dirt there too. More ash.

"About how much this sucks."

Knox rolled his eyes and shook his head. "How about thinking something useful instead? Sound good? We're doing this for _your_ stealth suit."

"Which got wrecked because I saved _your_ life," Ava shot back defensively. She watched Knox shrug and go back to studying the ash.

Ava groaned and blew some of her hair out of her face. She was tired of her hair getting in her face in the field. Gel, she had to find some more gel. No more axle grease and animal blood for her. But where was she going to find hair product in the middle of barely inhabited Texas?

She looked back down into the wash. Maybe Knox could use some help, but what the hell was she supposed to do? He was the tracker, not her.

What was it her father had used to say? If she applied herself, she could accomplish anything.

Yeah, right.

With a sigh, Ava tried to not feel the latent rage she felt quell up every time she thought of her father. Their relationship had been strained at best, but her final days in DC had at least changed how she thought about him. Ava supposed he might have a point about applying herself.

Knox told her she was one of the smartest people he knew and she'd somehow managed to solve just about every problem facing her. Even if the solution might be something as simple as stabbing it until it stopped moving.

Just think about it like a problem.

Rhombus (whoever he was) was secretive and left no trail. Yet here was a trail all laid out. However, the trail didn't lead anywhere, but it was so obvious there had to have been some sort of purpose. Right?

And now the ash in the wash. Why was there ash? Energy weapons? That would make sense. If Rhombus was technologically savvy enough to repair the stealth suit then he probably had a penchant for lasers and plasma.

But why was the ash in the wash? The trail wasn't there. Unless...

If the trail was there and the ash was from energy weapons, whoever got vaporized would cover their own trail. Which means Knox _was_ on the right trail.

Ava stood up, her hand resting on Clarity's hilt nervously.

"Hey, Knox..." she called.

Then there was the fact that Knox said the trails all looked wrong. Maybe he was looking at the wrong trail in the right place.

"What's up?"

And the right trail was being covered up. Probably by whoever left the other one.

"Maybe you should get out of the wash," she surveyed the landscape suspiciously.

Knox stood up, sensing her unease. He wasn't about to start doubting her survival instincts. "You got something?"

"Maybe," Ava replied slowly. "Something's wrong about all this. I don't think-" she glanced at him and her words caught in her throat. Something was rising up out of the dirt behind him.

Something armored.

"AMBUSH!" she screamed.

Knox whirled around drawing his pistol. A power armored fist locked on his arm and pushed the gun back into its holster.

Ava flipped off the ledge and down into the arroyo as more power armored figures rose from their hiding places. Sand rained out of the joints and pooled on the ground. She lunged forward at the nearest and slashed out with Clarity. The blade sliced through the air tubes on the helmet. The figure swung at her one handed as he tried to get his helmet off. She ducked and shouldered him in the back causing him to topple over.

As he fell, Ava was already moving. She ducked under another swing and drove Clarity's sheathe into the back of their knee and slammed the sword's pommel into her victims helmet. It resounded with a deep 'bong'.

A laser bolt slashed across her back. She grit her teeth in pain and growled as she felt the wound self cauterize. She whirled on the one who'd shot her. Hefting Clarity's sheathe like a javelin she hurled it at the shooter. The figure raised on arm to block it, but only succeeded in blocking their own view of Ava as she sprinted at them.

She planted a foot on their knee and ran up their power armor before flipping over and landing behind them.

She threaded Clarity through the mess of wires between the suit and its helmet until she felt the blade meet resistance at the soft under suit the wearer had on.

She glared defiantly at the other ambushers.

"I will slit his throat!" she shouted. "It'll be easy," she taunted.

Oh shit. There were way too many of them. And where the fuck was Knox?

She saw him about twenty feet away. On his knees. With a plasma rifle to his head.

Wonderful.

A deep, booming voice shouted out. "Nobody, so much as fucking twitch. Do you hear me?"

All the power armor wearers snapped to attention and looked behind Ava. Ava shifted nervously. Whoever it was, they were right behind her. 

"Girl, I'd put your sword down. We've got your friend dead to rights and you outnumbered. If you slit his throat, my brothers will vaporize your partner."

"I'd really appreciate not being vaporized, Rhombus!"

Wait, Rhombus?!

Ava looked over her shoulder and saw an elderly man clad in T-51b power armor. His helmet was off and clasped around his shoulders was a long, red cape. Painted on his chest piece was a symbol similar to the Brotherhood's. The wings were the same, but instead of a sword and gears, his had crossed pistols.

"Knox, what's going on?" she yelled.

"What's going on," Knox yelled back, "is that Rhombus is going to tell his soldiers not to kill me and you're going to put your sword down."

The old man, Rhombus, walked around Ava and her hostage and gave Knox a quick one over.

"Mr. Knox. What are you doing out here?" he asked, his voice not betraying his intentions.

"I was looking for you."

Rhombus narrowed his eyes. "And why would you be doing that?"

"Business," Knox replied simply.

Rhombus shook his head and smiled. "And what business would that be? I was pretty clear that we'd contact you if we needed your services again."

Knox nodded uncomfortably. "Yeah, well. This is more of a what can you do for me."

Rhombus snorted. "That's not how our relationship works."

Knox narrowed his eyes. "It's how it's going to work if you want me to keep your secret."

"And what secret would that be?" Rhombus had continued wandering around and was inspecting Ava. He shook his head in disgust at the man who'd gotten caught.

"That the Brotherhood is still alive in Texas."

Ava's eyes widened. These men were Brotherhood!? They had the armor, sure, but they didn't operate like any knights or paladins she'd ever seen. And she'd seen a lot!"

Rhombus walked back over to Knox. "And just who do you think you could sell that to? The NCR? We're too far east." He laughed. "Next bluff, Knox."

Knox smiled coldly. "Oh, it's not a bluff. Sure the NCR wouldn't particularly care, but the rest of the Brotherhood of Steel might be interested. There's a certain Elder McNamara I know, who'd love to hear that the crusaders have finished their mission in Texas and can be recalled."

Rhombus stopped walking and gave Knox a cold glare. "All right, you've made your point. Why are you here?" he demanded.

Knox looked over to Ava. "Ava, if you would kindly release your prisoner and show Rhombus why we're here."

Ava looked at Knox in disbelief. "Knox, you've got to be kidding? They have a gun to your head! I'm not releasing him."

With a smirk, Knox looked up at Rhombus. "It's okay, Ava. They're not going to shoot me. Right, Rhombus?"

"God I hate you," muttered Rhombus. He waved a hand at Ava. "You have my word, you're both going to be fine." Rhombus hauled Knox to his feet and pushed him towards Ava.

Knox gave her a grin before motioning for her to proceed. Ava didn't like it. They were still surrounded _and_ outnumbered. With a frustrated growl, she removed Clarity from the soldier's throat and shoved him away.

"Excellent!" Knox walked behind Ava and reached into her duffel as she glowered and eyed the Brotherhood. He pulled out the stealth suit and tossed it to Rhombus.

"I believe you can fix that."

Rhombus deftly caught the stealth suit and held it up in front of himself. His eyes widened as he examined it. They flicked from the suit to Ava and back to the suit.

"We certainly can, but..."

Knox's grin faltered.

"I can't let you keep this."

"BULLSHIT!" Ava screamed. The knights and paladins all jumped and readied their weapons as she took an angry step forward before Knox held her back.

"That is mine!" she shouted. "And the only way you get it is over my dead body!"

"Ava, please, don't make them offers like that," said Knox nervously.

Rhombus grinned. "Unfortunately that's exactly how we work. We're the Brotherhood of Steel, girl. Technology is our business. And something like this," he held up the stealth suit, "we definitely take away from people like you."

Ava stomped her foot and started to slide Clarity from its sheathe. "Let's see you take something away without any hands!"

The plasma bolt caught her in the stomach before she could even take a step. She collapsed, doubled over in pain.

"That was a warning. Next time, I have my men turn their rifles on high. Then we'll atomize you instead of giving you a sunburn."

Knox pulled Ava to her feet. The lower portion of her shirt was in tatters and her abs were turning an angry shade of red, but she seemed mostly unharmed. Knox looked at her nervously. Her knuckles were white as they clenched around Clarity's handle.

"Ava, calm down. We're surrounded and outgunned. Just think about it."

Think about it. Think about the problem.

Ava straightened up and stared Rhombus in the eye. "You can't take it."

"Oh yes I can," laughed Rhombus.

"No, you can't," Ava said again. "Brotherhood rules say otherwise."

Rhombus looked at her curiously. "What are you on about?"

"You can't confiscate tech from a member of another chapter without permission from their elder." Ava tugged down the collar of her shirt and pulled her bra aside slightly to show the lion tattoo right above her heart.

"Knight Mitchell, Lyon's Pride. Now, you can repair my fucking suit, or give it the fuck back."

_And we are done with the chapter. If you enjoyed it or have a suggestion please leave a review. Got a question? Send me a PM and I'll get back to you._

_Later guys!_


	11. Mexican Standoff

_So, word is you guys would like to see some art from this story. However, just looking at how long it takes me to write something or draw something, I probably won't have specific art for each chapter. That being said, I am totally willing to make a blog for any art I do featuring these characters. I will let you know when I have a chance to make it. In the meantime enjoy this brand new chapter!_

**April 27, 2280**

**17:00**

**Texas**

**Location Unknown**

"So you're part of the Brotherhood of Steel."

Ava glanced over at Knox as Rhombus's men bustled them along to wherever it was they were taking them. Knox was looking at her intently, clearly trying to piece everything together. He hadn't been asking a question.

"I feel like that's something I ought to know," he continued. "Could turn out to be important one day."

"I really don't see how it's any of your goddamn business, Knox. For all you know I could be the president of the Republic of Dave as well!"

Ava's temper was running short and she was taking it out on Knox. The two of them were being marched along at a forced pace, surrounded by Brotherhood paladins. It felt exceedingly like they were being held prisoner. Especially sense their weapons were confiscated.

Rhombus had taken off with a small contingent of soldiers and the stealth suit, but had left Ava and Knox with another squad to apparently be marched around in circles. Ava almost suspected they were just going to shoot them at some point and be done with it. She was anything, but happy about it.

Her glare fell from Knox and focused on a soldier several steps ahead of her. Infiltrator and Clarity were slung across his broad, armored back. She had thankfully not made a move for her weapons sense they'd started walking. Her stomach was still on fire from where they'd shot her. The burning sensation was probably just nerve damage. Hopefully.

As she stared angrily ahead, Knox started talking again. "Don't get mad at me because this went to shit. I didn't expect things to go that bad that fast. Also if you hadn't decided to down a couple of his paladins, Rhombus might have been a bit more reasonable!"

Ava whirled on him, coming to a stop. "Don't make it sound like my fault! You don't tell me a fucking thing! Ever! How the fuck am I supposed to know what to do if you don't tell me?! I can't read your fucking mind, Knox!"

"Keep moving!" One of the paladins behind Ava walked up and gave her shoulder a nudge.

"Go fuck yourself!" she shouted at him before stabbing her finger in Knox's face. "You keep secrets, you don't tell me what the fuck is about to happen, and then you make snide little jokes about how it's all my fault afterwords. That's not how friends treat each other!"

Knox smiled humorlessly at her. "So we're friends now? And here I was thinking you were just cargo."

Ava looked like she'd been slapped and stared at him open mouthed as the paladin's guarding them started to form a small circle to watch the conflict.

"How could you say that to me?" she said quietly.

"What? That you're a package? Cargo? A fucking delivery?" Knox mocked her as he slowly wandered the circle. "It's pretty easy actually. But..." he trailed off and stopped next to the paladin carrying Ava's weapons.

"Sense we're friends I suppose I should do something nice for you."

Knox threw his body backwards, his body armor meeting the power armor of the paladin with a metallic 'thwak'. The paladin started to overbalance and fall backwards and before any of the others had a chance to react Knox wrapped an arm around the soldiers helmet, violently wrenching it to the side, effectively blinding the soldier.

He grabbed his pistols off the paladins belt and started firing at the remaining guards. His shots played around their visors causing them to turn away.

"Let's move, Ava!"

Still firing in one hand, he tossed Ava her weapons. She deftly caught and slung Infiltrator before catching Clarity. Taking a running jump at her first victim, she snapped Clarity's hilt forward and impacted the paladin's helmet with the pommel. The resultant bang was obnoxious to her and enormously painful for the man inside the suit.

She landed on one knee and slashed out with the full length of her blade, cutting the hydraulics on another soldiers legs. He collapsed and she rolled over his back, bringing her sheathe and sword down in quick succession on another paladin's hands. The soldier dropped his weapon and took a step back only for Knox to fire point blank into his elbow joint. Blood spurted out and the soldier dropped to the ground.

"Well, that's that then. Come on, I think I know where-WHOA!" Knox took a quick step back in time to keep his head attached to his shoulder.

Ava stood in front of him holding Clarity at the ready, her hair had fallen over her face obscuring her eyes partially, but Knox could still see the murderous intent in them.

"Ava, calm down, just calm DOWN!" Knox nimbly leaped up and over Clarity as Ava swung at him again.

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT!? HOW COULD YOU BE THAT CRUEL!?"

She was panting and her swings were wild, but Ava's wild, unfocused swings were just as deadly and accurate as any master swordswoman.

"It was a distraction! Ava, you know I didn't mean it." Knox slid his pistols into their holsters and held his palms out to her. "You are my friend, Ava. And I'm yours. Just... calm down."

Ava screamed and took another swing at him. Knox stood his ground and stared her in the eyes as the point of the blade approached his throat. His jaw tensed as he felt Clarity approach him. Ava held the sword to his neck, but pressed no further. She was still looking at him, hurt and furious.

"You're as bad as Courier 6," she said softly. "You just say things without even thinking about what the words are going to do as long as you get what you want."

"I didn't mean it, Ava. You know that. I had to distract them."

She snorted softly. "God, you think you're right all the time. You haven't even apologized yet."

Knox's eyes widened and fell down in shame, but Ava couldn't tell if it was real or acted. As much as she wanted to trust Knox, she was beginning to think Courier 6 wasn't as forgotten as Knox claimed. Definitely not gone.

"Ava, I'm sor-"

His apology was cut off as Ava retracted her blade and whipped Clarity's hilt forward, snapping its pommel into Knox's jaw. Knox fell back, swearing violently, into the dirt, but had the good sense not to directly curse Ava.

"Don't even say it. Don't bother... 6."

"Ava," Knox started, but Ava cut him off.

"I said, 'DON'T'!" she shouted, but Knox wasn't going to let it slide.

"No, listen. I. Am not. Him. I promise you that." He caught her skeptical look. "Oh don't get me wrong. I'm a complete bastard when I need to be. It's the rest of the time that's the issue. Things don't quite work for me."

"What the fuck does that mean, Knox?"

Knox staggered to his feet, his jaw already bruising. He tore off his cowboy hat and pointed to his scar. "I got shot! In the head! Twice! Do you know what that does to a person? Every thought you take for granted? I don't have that luxury. I don't want this to be some sort of morbid pissing contest, but allow me this. Every time you worry about being a psychopath?"

Ava's eyes widened and her white knuckled grasp on Clarity loosened slightly.

"When you worry about that, I worry about being a sociopath. I don't even know if I have emotions any more, or if it's all just a facade. You think I'm being fake? Insincere? Well, I'm scared because I think that too!"

Knox's jaw was clenched and his eyes looked watery. Ava could tell he was barely holding back tears.

"I don't even know what's real in here!" Knox slammed a fist into the side of his head and sank to the ground. He groped for his hat and stuck it back on top his head. It's brim hid his face, but Ava could see the wet spots in the dirt.

She fell to her knees next to him and collapsed sideways into his lap.

She looked up at him and rather roughly wiped the tears from his face. "Stop crying. Take it from me, it doesn't _really_ do anything."

Knox chuckled and gave a slight smile. "Who'd have ever thought you'd be the one comforting me?"

"Oh-ho. The comforting hasn't even begun." Ava wrapped her arms around him. "A sociopath doesn't cry like a great, big baby."

Knox wrapped an arm around her and replied, "You have the amazing ability to start saying something nice and turn it into an insult."

Ava smiled and got to her feet. She extended a hand and pulled Knox up. "It's a gift."

"Yeah, a bad one. You should return it."

As Knox got up he could see behind Ava. The paladin whose helmet he'd turned had finally succeeded in pulling it off and was searching the dirt for a weapon. He found a laser rifle.

"Ava, MOVE!" Knox pushed Ava aside and reached for his pistol, but the paladin was faster. Three laser beams impacted Knox in the chest blasting him backward. As Ava fell to the dirt, she could see his chest plate turning bright red.

"KNOX!"

Knox landed in the dirt causing a cloud of dust to arise around his battered body. The paladin was slowly getting to his feet and leveling his laser rifle on the downed cowboy.

Big mistake.

Ava snapped Stab-happy out of its sheathe and threw it at him. The blade whirled through the air before stabbing into the barrel of the laser rifle. With a loud whine the rifle exploded. Jumping through the fire and metal, Ava brought Clarity down in a long arc towards the paladin's unprotected head.

Two shots rang out.

The first pinged off of Clarity and pushed the sword off course so it slammed into the paladin's shoulder plate instead. The second skimmed across the paladin's temple, snapping his head back and knocking him unconscious.

Ava landed in a heap on the downed paladin and looked to see Knox struggling to sit up. A Light Shining In Darkness was clasped in one hand. She hurried over to him, stepping on the paladin as she did.

"Knox! Ohmygod! Are you okay? You're okay right?"

"Chest piece..." Knox gasped.

Ava glanced down. Knox's chest plate was glowing hot and she smelled his shirt and skin burning under it. She bit her lip before tearing a strip from her ruined shirt and wrapping it around her hands. She undid the buckles on Knox's armor and grit her teeth.

She grabbed the chest plate and threw it off of Knox, shrieking as the metal burned her palms. Without missing a beat she grabbed Knox's canteen and poured some water on his chest and her hands.

Knox sighed in relief as she did so. His shirt was ruined and she could see blisters on his chest forming. Knox sat up with a groan and reached into one of his multitude of belt pouches and pulled out a bag of powder. He sprinkled some on his chest and swallowed the rest.

"What are you doing?" questioned Ava. "I'm sure I've got a stimpak here somewhere, maybe."

"Don't bother," Knox coughed, a small plume of the powder coming out of his mouth. "This is healing powder. Works just as well, but it tastes like death."

He grabbed her hands and sprinkled some more of the healing powder on her burnt palms. Sure enough, Ava could feel the pain in her hands lessening rapidly.

"Wow, that stuff actually works," she said, rather surprised.

Knox managed to sit up and toss back some more healing powder before responding. "I learned it from a woman in Goodsprings actually," he told her. "But healing powder's really prominent in Arizona. The Legion uses it in place of normal medicine."

"The Legion?"

Knox looked uncertainly at Ava. "I'll... tell you later. I promise. Right now we've got bigger things to deal with."

Bracing himself on Ava's shoulder, Knox got to his feet. He checked on his chest plate, making sure it was cooled, before tearing off the remains of his shirt and rearmoring himself.

"Luckily, I have a plan." He caught Ava's scowl. "Which I'm about to explain to you in great detail, so we're all on the same page?" he finished uncertainly.

Knox smiled hesitantly at Ava. After a few moments, she nodded for him to continue. He stepped around the unconscious bodies of the paladins and slowly began gathering up their dropped energy weapons.

"As you just saw when you were so valiantly trying to protect me with maximum carnage," Ava narrowed her eyes at him, warning him to get to the point, "if you cause significant damage to an energy weapon, be it laser or plasma, it may combust quite spectacularly."

"Quit being pedantic," Ava cut him off, "I know how to overload an energy cell."

Knox walked over to her and dropped the pile of weapons at her feet, grinning. "Well, then. You'll be able to help me wiring all these together into a _really_ big bomb."

Ava returned his grin and crouched next to the weapons. "And do we have a place to put this really big bomb?"

"Oh, yes."

**Secret Bunker**

**Texas Brotherhood Headquarters**

"Oh, Rhombus! Come on out, you traitorous, backstabbing, piece of filth!"

Knox stood before the heavily fortified and disguised door to Rhombus's base of operations. Once the Brotherhood had ambushed them, he'd finally been able to find a good trail and he'd successfully tracked them back here to a hidden bunker.

He was standing with his hands on his hips, gleefully shouting obscenities at the door and waiting. Knox was certain Rhombus was going to come out. He would be too shocked to see Knox alive to not.

Sure enough, after a few more moments of waiting, the door groaned open. Two paladins, one armed with a plasma rifle and the other with a Gatling laser hurried out and trained their weapons on Knox. Rhombus stepped out after them, an irritated look on his face.

"Knox... how unexpected," he said from the bunker's shaded doorway

Knox chuckled and gave a passing glance at the heavily armed paladins. He was entirely too unworried for Rhombus's liking.

"I bet it is unexpected. Tell me were you going to eventually execute us, or just waste our time wandering in circles until we died of exposure?" he asked wryly.

Rhombus gave a noncommittal shrug. "You became a threat, Knox. You could have died from a shot in the back, but now I'm going to have to look you in the eyes when you die." He stepped out into the Wasteland sun and drew his laser pistol. "You shouldn't have threatened me. Threatening me just isn't that smart."

Knox looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I'll just have to try harder then."

Ava dropped down off the overhanging hillside above the bunker door. She tumbled down, slashing with Clarity as she dropped. The blade sliced through Rhombus's pistol as if it were made out of cardboard. Springing up from her crouched position she placed her sword at Rhombus's throat before either of his guards had a chance to react.

"You really should wear your helmet more often. Without it, power armor is kind of useless," she taunted him.

Rhombus scowled and his eyes flicked down to the sword at his throat. "Listen, you little harlot-"

Ava cut him off by nicking his throat just enough to draw blood.

"I wouldn't go with the name calling. She's sensitive about that," Knox warned.

Rhombus turned his scowl on Knox. "How'd you think this was going to play out? Congrats. You've created a real Mexican standoff."

Knox shook his head, his grin widening. "Not really, this isn't a standoff. We also planted an extremely powerful bomb in your air filtration system. See, Ava there is very familiar with most vaults and bunkers. She found your air scrubbers pretty darned fast. She also showed me how to key the bomb into her PipBoy's radio."

Ava held her hand in front of Rhombus to show him her Pipboy. "Now it's remote control," she explained.

Rhombus growled in frustration. "Rrrghh. Fine! Weapons down, brothers." The paladins lowered their arms and stepped back from Knox. Ava did not lower her sword. "So what is it you want, Knox?"

Knox shook his head. "Don't ask me. Ask her." He pointed to Ava.

"Alright, bitc-... ma'am... what is it you want?"

Ava smirked. "I want my stealth suit."

"Done."

"I want it repaired."

Rhombus was quiet for a moment before grudgingly accepting. "Fine," he sighed, "I'll have my scribes fix it and bring it up."

"Wonderful," chirped Ava happily.

"Is that all? If so, you can kindly get the hell out of our territory. And get this psycho's sword away from me!" he snapped at Knox.

Ava nicked his throat again, but lowered her sword and stepped over to Knox.

"Actually, Rhombus," Knox stated hotly, "that isn't all. You're forgetting exactly how today played out. You broke any sort of relationship you had with me which is essentially blacklisting yourself for _all_ couriers."

Rhombus tried to look unimpressed, but Knox was right. Having no couriers was tantamount to covering his eyes, plugging his ears, and gagging himself in the Wasteland.

"And on top of that," Knox continued, "you violated the Brotherhood Codex."

Rhombus's eyes widened and Knox stared him down, his face serious. "From what I hear that's a pretty big offense. So here's how things are going to be. You're going to bring us a working stealth suit and then we're going to walk away. I'm not going to tell anyone about this, but the next time I'm here, I'll be expecting service with a smile."

Rhombus remained silent and nodded. The door behind him whisked open again and a worried looking scribe stood clutching the stealth suit. "S-sir," he tried to nervously hand the suit off.

"Not me," Rhombus snapped. "That one," he pointed a finger at Ava.

The scribe gulped and nervously walked over to Ava. He held out the stealth suit and looked like he was going to pass out when she grinned darkly at him and snatched the suit out of his hands. The scribe scurried away.

"Well, there's the suit, so if everything else in our new business arrangement is understood, we'll be going."

Knox turned to leave, wondering if Rhombus was going to protest.

"Knox," he called. There it was.

"In light of our new relationship," Knox stopped, surprised. Not a protestation? "I felt I should give you a warning. We've been dealing with a new band of savages recently. Not like any raiders we've ever seen."

Knox turned to face Rhombus again, smiling and shaking his head. "Getting back in my good graces is going to take more than some gossip about a new gang."

"This isn't a gang, Knox. More like an army. An army marching under the flag of the Bull."

Knox's smile fell and his eyes widened. He spoke one word.

"Legion."

_So that's Texas down! And we met Rhombus! Who, yes, should be dead by now, but you know, whatever. Only two more states to go until Nevada! What surprises await us there? And are you as panicked as Knox that the Legion is that far east? Remember he's been away from the Mojave for awhile. Things may have changed a bit._


	12. Los Alamos Is Burning

_I am so truthfully sorry about how long this update has taken. The reasons, however, are almost entirely related to the story however. A friend of mine mentioned that Shattered Illusions (Part 1) was rife with spelling errors. I checked. It was. I felt bad about that and have been painstakingly reuploading the chapters bit by bit, but with the errors fixed. Then that same friend was reviewing my story notes and such for parts 3 and 4. She decided I needed to change part 4 or write a part 5. Guess what I picked? It was- HA! Surprise, I'm not going to tell you. Not yet at least. But with the edits almost out of the way and my rampant new round of story boarding I've been busy. I'll try to keep more regular updates for you fine, fine audience. Two questions this chapter._

_Q: New Ava seems to lose control less often than the old Ava. Is this because she's growing as a person, or because of the lack of chems?_

_A: Growing as a person. If you recall, the drugs actually managed to have a stabilizing effect for her psychosis._

_Q: Who is Knox allied with back in Vegas?_

_A: Can't reveal that just yet. However, this chapter should provide a little more insight into the topic._

_Beyond that, no more questions. If you have a question, please message it to me. If you like the story, please favorite. If you have something you'd like to see or think I could do better, please leave a review._

**May 5, 2280**

**19:00**

**New Mexico**

**Hills Outside of Los Alamos**

"So that's Los Alamos?"

"Yep."

"Is it always on fire?"

Knox flashed an irritated look at Ava, but she ignored it. "No, Ava. It isn't always on fire. It's actually quite nice when it's not being overrun by what looks like a very nasty tribe of raiders."

Knox and Ava where laying down on one of the hills overlooking the city. Knox had pulled out his binoculars and was surveying the situation. Surprisingly well organized raiders were occupying the town. However, Knox had noticed a pocket of the original inhabitants holding out in an old fort. Raider corpses littered the outside. They'd been taken out before they'd even reached the worn stone of the fort's walls.

"Any survivors?" asked Ava. Knox pointed to the southern part of the settlement at the fort.

"They're holed up in there."

Ava propped herself up on her elbows and folded her hands above her eyes to cut off the glare of the sun. She thoughtfully chewed on her tongue as she pondered the situation. She could easily navigate the city in her newly repaired stealth suit, but to what end? She couldn't do much to help anybody.

"What do we do, Knox?"

Knox pulled the binoculars lenses away from his eyes and met Ava's eyes. "Well, I can certainly get us around Los Alamos. I was hoping for a resupply here, but if we drop south we can probably scavenge in Albuquerque, but..." he trailed off.

"But what?"

Knox brought the binoculars back to his face. "But then we'd be leaving Los Alamos to the raiders."

Ava buried her head in her arms and groaned. This whole being a good person thing was way more trouble than she'd have ever thought. "We're not going to leave Los Alamos to the raiders," she admitted.

"That's what I thought," replied Knox. "So what are we gonna do to save it?"

Ava began absentmindedly playing with the dirt before answering. "Why do I already feel like you have a plan?"

"It's in its infancy. Humor me. What do you think we should do?"

Ava reached over for the binoculars. "Let me have a look."

Knox handed her the binoculars. Ava brought them up and looked down into the city.

"Well, first we need to get to the fort, meet up with the survivors. Right?" Knox nodded. "Main street looks like it has the most cover, but also the most raiders. I could get through, but not you."

Ava started looking for alternate roots. The main street wasn't the best option, but the alleys were narrow without anything to hide behind. However they weren't occupied. Unfortunately, she noticed the raiders were smart enough to put sentries on the rooftops. They'd be able to pick anyone running through the alleys off at their leisure. But... if there were no sentries, well, maybe it wasn't so unfortunate.

"What about the back alleys?" she asked Knox.

"Covered by the sentries," he countered. "Unless... you've got a solution?"

Ava kept looking at the streets laid out before her. "Maybe. If we move fast enough. I can cover you from the roof. I'll take out the sentries, keep them from raising the alarm. If we hurry we can make it to the fort before anyone notices."

"That's a workable plan. I also think it's our best bet. You think you can-"

"Hang on a minute," Ava interrupted, noticing something with the binoculars. "Uh-oh."

"What-oh? What do you see?" Knox asked urgently. "Ava, what is it?"

"Shh! Quiet," she commanded. "We've got a third party involved."

"And?"

"And," Ava replied, annoyed, "I have no idea who they are."

Knox reached for the binoculars. "Inhabitants or outsiders? Here, give me the binocs."

Ava elbowed his hand away and kept looking. "Red clad, all of them. Looks like they've got a flag."

"Ava, give me the binoculars," Knox asked again, more insistently. Ava continued to ignore him.

"The flag's a... bull? Knox! Like Rhombus said."

Knox snatched the binoculars out of her hands and rammed them against his eyes, trying to find the group Ava was looking at. After a few moments of frantic searching he settled on them.

"Ah, FUCK," Knox swore angrily. Ava resentfully glared at him while rubbing her hand from where Knox had slapped the binoculars away.

"Care to share? That's the Legion, right? That's what you said back in Texas, isn't it?"

Knox lowered the binoculars and dropped his head into the dirt. "Yes. It's the Legion, Ava."

"Don't get short with me," she snapped in reply, "just because you've got your panties in a twist. Now tell me what the hell is happening."

"Now look whose panties are in a twist," he muttered. "The one of us who actually wears panties," he answered for himself. Ava flicked him in the side of the head, knocking his hat askew.

"Newsflash," she retorted, "I don't wear panties."

Knox got to his knees and stowed the binoculars on his belt and chambered a round in A Light Shining In Darkness. "Oh, I'm aware. You have some sort of perverse fascination with wearing nothing, but your underwear in combat zones."

"Hey! Fuck you!"

As the two bickered and readied themselves, they failed to hear the trio of footsteps behind them. "Hello, profligates." While they may have not heard their approach, Knox and Ava both froze upon hearing the voice.

"Fuck," murmured Knox.

Ava was slightly more proactive. She whipped around with Clarity in a brutal double handed swing at the approximate head height of whoever had spoken. To her surprise her blow was halted with a clang of metal. The speaker wasn't alone. His two guards had their short swords crossed in front of him. They pushed back and Ava stumbled next to Knox.

Whoever these three were they meant business. Each wore crimson shirts and leather skirts. Their chests were armored with what looked like reinforced football pads. The guards wore facewraps and helmets. Their swords were held at the ready, pointed at Knox and Ava. The man in the center, however, was dressed differently. His armor was bulkier and looked almost scrapped together. He wore a coyote head atop his head and goggles covered his eyes. A flag rose from his back, a flag bearing the bull standard. His arms were crossed and he examined Ava and Knox thoughtfully.

"It is unfortunate luck that you would be found this near to the den of cowards," the man stated calmly as he motioned to Los Alamos below them.

"Bad luck indeed, Vexillarius," Knox replied. Ava's eyes flicked to him in surprise. He knew this guy? As he stood, Knox maintained eye contact with the man, but surreptitiously motioned for Ava to not do anything rash with his hand.

"Ah, so you are familiar with my rank in Caesar's Legion?" Okay, so not a name. A rank.

"Who the fuck is Keye-Sar?" asked Ava bluntly. A pained expression crossed Knox's face as the Vexillarius turned his gaze on Ava. He motioned to one of his guards.

The guard strode forward, preparing to backhand Ava across the face.

"Silence, whore," was as much as he got out of his mouth before Ava drove Clarity's pommel up and into his chin. The Legionary stumbled backwards, grunting in pain as his jaw clamped down on his own tongue.

"How very disappointing," the Vexillarius sighed as his man was repulsed, "to be injured so quickly by a woman." He turned back to Ava. "And I commend you, profligate whore. To strike a Legionary so easy is no mean feat. That being said, to strike a Legionary is also a punishable offense for a slave."

Ava bristled. "I'm no one's slave," she spat. She shifted her weight, one foot forward and raised Clarity in front of her. The Vexillarius's hand strode towards the grip of his own blade as he stared down Ava.

"Let's everyone just calm down for a moment," Knox interjected. Ava glanced at him in irritation, she was spoiling for a fight. The Vexillarius silently appraised Knox.

"I think there's something you should see." Knox reached into his pocket and pulled out the same large, silver coin he'd had on Clinton's train. Knox flicked it towards the Vexillarius. The three Legionaries watched the disk flip through the air. The Vexillarius lifted his hand off his sword to catch it on instinct.

Knox whipped his pistols out, firing three times. Blood sprayed from the Legionaries' throats as they stumbled backwards. Ava stomped her foot. She hadn't gotten to kill anyone.

"Next time, warn me," she griped.

Knox ignored her and crossed over to the fallen Vexillarius. He plucked the coin from the man's fingers and stowed it in his belt again. The Vexillarius gasped still alive, his eyes fixed on the coin.

"Wh-where did you... g-get the... mark?" he gasped. The Vexillarius coughed blood and his final breath gurgled away.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Knox smirked as he stood upright once more. He turned to Ava who had her arms crossed and was glaring at him.

"Spill," she hissed angrily. She pointed at the fallen. "How the fuck do you know them? Who the fuck is Keye-Sar? And what the fuck is happening?!"

"Ava, I swear I will fill you in, but right now we have more pressing concerns." Knox pointed at Los Alamos which was still burning away in the background. "I just need you to trust me when I say that this is no ordinary raider attack. It's much more planned than that. It's an... audition," he said slowly, "an audition we don't want to get mixed up in. So if we want to save the people in that fort, we've got to go now."

Ava narrowed her eyes at Knox. She did trust him, but he had too many damned secrets. "Secrets don't make friends, Knox," she reminded him as she took a threatening step forward and raised a hand to punch him.

Knox hopped back as her fingers curled. "Ava, if you break my nose again, I swear on all that is holy, I will shoot you in leg!"

Ava lowered her arm and stuck her tongue out at him. "So what's the plan?"

"Exactly what we agreed it was, when we were so rudely interrupted," Knox said as he started down the hill, stepping over the dead Legionaries. Ava followed, but made a point to trod on their corpses.

"Except, small caveat," Knox continued, "If you encounter Legionaries, do not engage."

Ava snorted in disbelief. "They're not that tough," she protested. "I can take them easily."

Knox stopped and put a hand on her chest. "Not what I mean, Ava. I mean they cannot know we were here."

"Why, Knox?" Ava asked, more than a little confused.

"Remember, how I asked you to trust me? I know this is going to be hard, but I need you to go a little longer without an answer. I swear to you, I will tell you, but not today."

Ava huffed unhappily. "I- Knox- I don't... rrrggghh. Fine," she agreed.

Knox patted her on the head. "Good girl. Let's move, we've got people to save." He trotted ahead of her to the first houses of Los Alamos. "Now, who wants to save the day?" he called back to her.

Knox ran into cover along the wall leading to the first alley. Standing above him on the rooftop was one of the raiders' sentries. Knox laced his fingers together and nodded at Ava. She sprinted at him and planted the sole of her foot into his hands. As she sprang up, Knox lifted with all his might. Ava sailed up into the air directly behind the sentry. She landed without so much as a thud, the stealth suit's shoes dampening any sound. With a quick twist, she swung her leg around and swept the sentry's feet out from under him. With a startled "huh?" the sentry fell backwards off the roof directly into the alley and into Knox's waiting arms.

Before the raider could make a move, Knox knelt on his gun arm and pulled Blood-Nap across his throat. Knox looked up at Ava and tipped his hat before turning and running down the alley.

Ava took a deep breath, readying herself. With a nod, she activated her cloak and took off along the rooftops after Knox.

As Knox approached the first turn in the alley, Ava hurled herself at the sentry stationed above it. She plunged Clarity into his chest and rolled over him. His corpse plummeted down and splatted next to Knox as he tore through the empty corridor. Ava leaped above him onto the next set of rooftops, skidding slightly on the loose tiles.

The next sentries fell to a concentrated burst from Perforator and a well placed kick to the head. The raider she'd kicked in the head stumbled back off the roof and crashed into a pile of crates. He groggily got back to his feet in time for Knox to come sprinting past. Knox took half a second to pistol whip the man into unconsciousness before hurrying on.

Ava called down to him, "better move! Someone heard that!"

And so someone had. The sentries were starting to converge on Knox and an alarm was being sounded. Luckily the fort was within two hundred meters. As the raiders started to sight up on Knox and take potshots, Ava decloaked as she ran at them.

"Hey assholes! Look, I'm a distraction!"

The raiders turned their guns on her as she pirouetted through the air, holding Clarity aloft. The sword cut through armor and flesh alike. The raiders split their attention between Knox and Ava as she began dismembering the sentries nearest her and Knox began to fire at any raiders dumb enough to follow him into the alley.

"Hey, Ava," Knox hollered at her, "time to get out of here!" Knox dove forward, twisting in the air. He landed on scrap metal covering the ground and skidded forward. His back plate cast up sparks as he slid along the ground. Wielding A Light Shining In Darkness and his .45, Knox fired into the raiders' midst, covering Ava as she jumped from the rooftop.

He rolled backwards onto his feet and stumbled around to keep running. Ava landed and rolled neatly next to him. The duo sprinted for the fort's gates. Bullets whizzed past them from the raiders giving chase.

Sniper shots cracked out. Knox peered over his shoulder and saw raiders dropping like flies.

"Haha!" he laughed, "this plan is working out after all!"

"Oh yea of little faith," Ava scolded him. "It was my plan. Of course it was going to work."

Knox rolled his eyes and kept running until a rifle shot from the fort slammed into his chestplate. Knox flew back, slamming into the ground. He gasped trying to catch his breath. It felt like he'd run headlong into a wall.

Ava skidded to a halt. "Knox!" she screamed. Knox tried to tell her he was fine and to keep moving, but all that came out was a gasp. Ava hurried over and knelt next to him. "Knox, come on, you've got to get up! Oh no, no, no!"

Again Knox merely wheezed as he tried to tell Ava to keep moving. "Ava-" he gasped, trying to warn her, but it was no good. Another sniper shot sang out. Knox couldn't possibly see the shot, but he did see Ava's eyes widen as it tore through the soft sides of her stealth suit. The suit was tough (probably tougher now that it had been repaired by the Brotherhood), but it wasn't designed to stand up to a sniper shot.

Knox watched her side explode in a bloody shower, but he didn't see an exit wound. The bullet must have ricocheted back into her stomach off of one of the harder plates in the front of the stealth suit. Ava collapsed on top of Knox. He rolled her over and curled his body over her protectively, using his form to shield her.

"Son of bitch," he cried. "Ava, girl, you've got to be okay! Because," he grunted as he hauled her onto his shoulder. "I haven't," he stuck Clarity in his belt and grasped Perforator in his free hand. "Been paid yet!"

Holding Ava in an awkward fireman's carry, Knox stumbled for the fort's front gate. Raiders had stopped following them, but that hadn't stopped them from shooting. However, it was the snipers who couldn't differentiate friend from foe that Knox was more worried about.

Almost in time with that thought another shot slammed into his shoulder plate. Knox spun three hundred and sixty degrees, but didn't fall. He regained his footing and hauled ass for the shadow of the fort's walls.

As he neared the fort he started shouting, "HOLD FIRE! HOLD YOUR FUCKING FIRE! WE'RE FRIENDLY!" He skidded to a halt in front of the door and gingerly laid Ava on the ground. Checking her pulse he said to her, "You're going to be fine, Ava. You've been through too much shit not to be. How about this? You wake up and we go beat the hell out of the trigger happy dick head that shot at us. Sound good?"

Her pulse was weak, but she didn't respond. "Arrggghhhh," Knox growled. He stood up and began hammering on the doors of the fort. "OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR, YOU PRICKS!" He slammed his fist into it harder. "COME ON!"

The door groaned open a crack. Knox stumbled back as it swung all the way open. A crowd of armed men and women stood with their weapons drawn. A grizzled, old man in the center stepped forward and leveled his shotgun at Knox's head.

"I need some fucking medical aid. You shot my package! And my friend too!" Knox pointed his finger at Ava's unconscious body.

The old man cocked his shotgun. "I'd suggest you get some manners real quick, son."

Knox grinned wickedly and brought his pointing hand to bear. He lowered his pointer finger and raised his middle, taunting the old man to shoot. "And I suggest you get me my damn medical aid, so I can tell you three things. Who's coming to kill you all, why you have no chance, and how I'm your only hope of getting out of here."

_And boom goes the dynamite. Don't worry. Ava is fine. As if any of you thought otherwise. I mean really, a sniper shot? I've been pretending to kill Ava since like chapter 5 of Shattered Illusions. She's got a ways to go. But! This is going to spring board us into a little bomb I've been waiting to drop for a while. Isn't that exciting? Anyway, see you next time for the fallout._

_Ha, double entendre._


	13. Warning Signs

_So new chapter, boo yah. Not much to say here. I'm still reuploading Shattered Illusions chapters, no you don't need to reread them, it's all spelling and a little grammar corrections, no content changes. Special note on this chapter: try hard to figure out what's going on and going to happen. I'm curious to see if you'll be able to put one and one together._

**May 5, 2280**

**20:00**

**New Mexico**

**Los Alamos**

Knox stood impatiently in the hallway outside of the triage center that had been set up in the fort. Some doctor had pushed him out of their operating room as soon as he'd bullied the citizens of Los Alamos into treating Ava.

He tapped his heel against the wall and clicked his tongue. What was taking so goddamned long? It was a bullet wound, right? Nothing complicated about it.

Except he knew that wasn't the case. Knox had seen Ava's side. It was torn up something fierce and she'd lost a lot of blood. It wasn't the sort of injury to be treated by a stimpak. It needed a surgeon's precision and Knox just hoped the Los Alamos resident doctor could cut it.

A far off chain of explosions sounded followed shortly by the violent shaking of the building. Knox stumbled as the lights flickered and dust rained down from the rafters.

"Now what the fuck is going on?" he muttered to himself. Several Los Alamos soldiers ran past him. Knox caught one by the shoulder. "What was that?"

"The raiders have moved into the nuclear reactor as a staging area. We set the automated security systems to keep them out, but... well... it sounds like they got past them."

Knox grit his teeth in frustration. This wasn't just a raider invasion. This was a Legion backed attack on Los Alamos. It was the Legion who would attack the reactor, not the raiders. The raiders would want the town intact for pillaging. Not the Legion, they'd be perfectly content to blow it off the fucking map.

The soldier turned to follow after his comrades, but Knox caught him once more. "The old guy who brought me in, he's in charge, right?" The soldier nodded. "Take me to him. Now."

The soldier looked unsure for a moment, but the look on Knox's face convinced him otherwise. "Yes, sir. This way."

Knox gave one more look at the closed door and hurried after the soldier. Ava's life was in the doctor's hands at this point. Nothing he could accomplish staring at the door.

"Look, I'm just going to preempt anything your boss says, alright?" The soldier looked at Knox in confusion. "Start getting everyone together at the front gate. I know how to get everyone out."

"Why would we need to evacuate, sir?"

"Because the raiders aren't moving into the reactor for a base camp. They're going to light that thing up like a fucking bomb."

The soldier skidded to a halt. "What!?" he exclaimed panicked.

Knox stopped and put a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. That's why I need you to get everyone together and ready to move."

"But the colonel-"

"That the old geezer?" Knox interrupted to clarify. "Let me worry about him. You worry about getting everyone good to go."

"I- but- I don't-" stammered the soldier uncertainly. Knox tightened his grip on the soldier's shoulder.

"I really don't have time to explain any more. You need to get moving."

The soldier swallowed and nodded. "The colonel's office is that one," he said as he pointed at a door at the far end of the hall. "I'll have everyone ready to move."

Knox smiled and let the soldier go before turning and bursting into the colonel's office. The colonel (the old man from the gate) was sitting at a desk. Several other officers were standing around, all looking at a map.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing here?" shouted the colonel angrily at the invasion of his office.

"Hi, how are you, great to see you again. Look you need to listen to me," Knox said quickly.

The colonel stood up, knocking his chair over backwards. "I already listened to you and now your friend is in surgery. _You_ refused to tell us what information you had until you ok'd her. Which you haven't so I haven't heard any damned important information. And now that I mention it, I'm getting more and more inclined to toss you and your friend back out the gates instead of waiting!"

The colonel looked at his subordinates. "Would one of you arrest this lunatic?"

Before any of the officers could approach, Knox pulled A Light Shining In Darkness out and had it trained on the colonel. "Yeah, see, it's really urgent you hear me out."

The colonel glowered and glared at Knox darkly, but said nothing. Knox took this as permission to proceed. "The attack on the reactor isn't a raiding party. The raiders are a distraction, so someone else can trigger a meltdown in the reactor."

The colonel snorted in disbelief. "And just who is this someone else?"

"Caesar's Legion."

The colonel let out a short bark of laughter. "You think the Legion is attacking Los Alamos? If you hadn't noticed we're in New Mexico, not Arizona."

"Less than a month ago I received reports of Legion explorers in Texas, so yes, I think the Legion is here. Also not to mention we were ambushed by them when we entering the city. The Legion _is_ here colonel and they are going to destroy Los Alamos."

The officers present in the room looked between Knox and the colonel nervously. Knox still had his pistol pointed at him. The colonel appeared to be wrestling with what Knox was saying until he slammed his fist into his desk.

"Damn it! We need to evacuate then." He looked to Knox who lowered and holstered his pistol with a spin. "Thank you for the information." The words looked like they pained the colonel to say them. "We'll start moving our citizens to the back gate and head for the city's edge."

Knox shook his head. "Nope. The Legion'll be on the look out for that. Anything conventional they'll be prepared for."

The colonel tsked in irritation. "Then just what do you suggest?"

"Straight out the front. All that's left there will be a small force left to keep up the illusion of the attack. Everyone else is set to ambush you if you retreat. You need to go on the offense. Attack en mass and evacuate out the front side."

The colonel narrowed his eyes at Knox. "You seem quite familiar with Legion tactics."

Knox shrugged. "I've had dealings with them before. I know how they work."

The colonel wasn't buying it. "I'll bet you do. Too bad I don't have the luxury of finding out why." He turned to one of his officers. "Give the evacuation call, get everyone to the front gate."

"Already done."

Everyone turned back to Knox. "It's already done. I figured time was of the essence so I got one of your men to start prepping."

"Of course you did," said the colonel, irritated. "Well, what are you all waiting for? GET MOVING!"

The officers jumped to a start and ran from the room. The colonel brushed past Knox and followed his men. Knox allowed himself a small smirk before heading back to Ava's room.

Knox pushed through the sea of people all moving for the front gates. He shouldered his way to the medical office and slid through the door. It was utter chaos. Doctors and nurses were running back and forth, prepping patients for transports. Injured citizens of Los Alamos were everywhere. Knox found Ava laying on a bed towards the back. Bandages were slapped around her gut and she had an IV fed into her, but besides that nothing.

"Who the fuck was treating her?" shouted Knox in anger. One of the nurses shrugged and kept moving. Another shouted back. "We're a little busy here!"

"Ah, FUCK!"

Knox started tearing open drawers in order to find some sort of medicine. Grabbing a fistful of stimpaks he jabbed them into Ava's exposed neck one after the other before pulling her IV and gathering her up into his arms.

He pushed back through the hospital and back into the sea of evacuees. He cradled Ava as best he could while still hurrying for the front gate. As he was approaching the stairs when another massive explosion rocked the fort. Above the din of people screaming, Knox heard a faint ticking. His eyes fell on Ava's PipBoy. The Geiger had just started ticking faintly, but was getting stronger every second.

"Oh that's bad. That's very bad," whispered Knox. The Legion was moving too fast. They were going to blow the reactor before the fort could be evacuated. The goddamn psychos must have just cracked the containment area of the reactor which would explain the spike in radiation. That way no one could go in after them and try to abort the meltdown. Total scorched earth.

The Legion was nothing if not fanatical. A small squad like the one Ava had spotted was more than capable of taking out all of Los Alamos. Then the rest of the Legion could steamroll in and take the land and the survivors (if there were any) as its own.

Ava shifted in his arms and groaned.

"Ava, Ava. Stay still. You're in a bad way." She continued to squirm and eventually Knox had to set her down to the floor or risk dropping her. All the while her Geiger counter kept ticking more and more insistently.

"W-what's going on?" she asked weakly.

"Legion's blowing the reactor. We're evacuating right now."

Ava's eyes flicked to her PipBoy. "Not... not enough time."

"Plenty of time. We're already set to go."

"Liar," Ava said while wincing in pain. She coughed violently spraying the floor with blood.

"Hey, hey. Toughen up. You get a scratch and you just start falling apart," teased Knox, but his eyes were worried.

"I was shot, asshole," Ava retorted quietly. Another explosion rocked the fort and Ava's Geiger counter spiked. Ava began to cough harder and clutched her stomach in pain.

"Ava? AVA! Ah god fucking damn it. Fucking doctors," Knox ranted to himself as he tore through his satchel for something, anything to help. He pulled an empty syringe out and a bottle of Rad-X.

"Alright, Ava. We are going to get up and get moving, but first. Something to deal with our friendly neighborhood radiation." He threaded the needle into his arm and injected. He prepped another needle and tried to grasp a hold of Ava, but she started to struggle against him.

"Whoa there, easy, easy, it's just Rad-X!"

Ava's squirming turned into full on resistance, all the while she was feverishly muttering, "no, no, no."

Ava struck out with her arm, smacking the needle full of Rad-X away. The needle plinked across the ground before shattering against the wall. Knox swore and went back into his bag, but before he could pull the Rad-X back out Ava elbowed him in the throat and stumbled to her feet.

"Ack! Ava! Come back!" Knox staggered to his feet as once more the building shook with the force of an explosion. Ava was staggering through the crowd and heading the exact opposite direction of where they needed to be. Knox fought against the tide of people trying to hurry after her, but she was getting further and further away.

"AVA!" Knox pulled his gun out and fired it into the ceiling several times, the shots caused the crowd to scream and part allowing him to sprint after her. She was stumbling towards a window at the end of the hallway. As she approached it she began to pick up speed and crashed through it.

Knox's heart stopped as he saw her fall through the glass and out the window. Jerking to a start he sprinted to the window. Looking out over the edge, Knox saw Ava's body on the ramparts of the fort's wall directly below him.

"AVA! NO!" he screamed. He looked around frantically for some way to get down to her until movement caught his eye. He looked back out the window at her still body. Except... it wasn't so still.

Ava's arms were twitching and the glass shards from the window looked to almost be pushing themselves from her flesh. The twitching quickly turned into full on movement and Ava slowly stood.

"What the... hell is going on?" Knox asked himself. Below him on the wall, Ava had started slowly walking again, shedding the rest of the glass as she went. Knox watched in horrid fascination as she shuffled ever closer to the edge of the wall. He was snapped from his morbid observation as he saw Ava topple off the wall silhouetted by the cooling towers of the reactor beyond her.

"Oh shit!"

Knox tore down the hallway. It was nearly empty now. The evacuation was nearly complete. Not that it mattered if the reactor blew.

The reactor.

Ava was going to the reactor.

Knox leaped down the stairs to the first story and out into the courtyard. He spotted a portcullis door in the back gates. Several shots from A Light Shining In Darkness and a well placed kick and he was through the door.

Know didn't know why she would, but if the reactor was Ava's destination he had to reach her before she got too close. Without the Rad-X the radiation would be lethal. Not to mention she should be dead already which Knox was having difficulty reconciling at the moment. He slid around the corner and signs of Ava's trail were obvious. A large bloodstain adorned the ground. Drag marks led out of it and soon turned into steps.

How the fuck was she still moving? Massive internal trauma, falling from the top story of the fort, walking off the wall, not to mention the radiation. Something was very wrong here. Knox followed the trail as quickly as he could, all the while he could feel his skin crawling. Whether it was the radiation or the fact that his friend was stumbling around like a zombie he didn't dwell on.

As he ran he could feel the heat radiating from the reactor. The shielding must be completely down. Well done, Legion. Well fucking done. Knox could feel any exposed skin starting to peel like a rapidly forming sun burn, but he didn't stop. Ahead he could see Ava.

She was walking steadier now and with each step towards the reactor seemed to be getting stronger until she was running as well.

"AVA! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Knox yelled after her, waving his arms frantically. Her stride was getting faster and faster and Knox was having trouble keeping up with her.

He saw her disappear into the doors leading into the nuclear facility's control center. Knox hustled to the door and started to pull it open, but jerked back when the handle burned his hand. He grit his teeth and pulled it open and sidestepped into the building, dodging the scalding hot door.

Knox could see fallen Legionaries scattered about the room. None alive. The radiation had killed them. Knox himself was beginning to feel sick to his stomach and weak. The massive amount of rads this close to the reactor was overwhelming his Rad-X. On the far side of the control room, standing in front of a computer station was Ava.

She was rapidly typing away on the computer. Her fingers tracked back and forth across the keyboard before she triumphantly punched a final key on the keyboard. In response an alarm siren sounded. The klaxon blared in Knox's ear as he tried to get Ava's attention, but she couldn't hear him. Ava stood up straight from the command console and looked out the observation window into the reactor. The siren continued to blare.

"AVA!" shouted Knox, but it was useless. Knox's eyes widened as the building began to shake. Sparks flew from the control panels and it dawned on him what Ava had been doing. She'd triggered the self destruct sequence in order to stop the meltdown.

"Oh no," Knox said softly as he watched the reactor crumble. Fire bloomed from outside the observation bay. Ava was briefly framed by bright light as the reactor exploded.

Knox was blasted back out through the doors by the force of the explosion. He slammed into the ground and rolled head over heels several times before coming to a halt against a large chunk of rubble. His vision swam as he looked at the burning reactor. He tried to stand and walk towards it, but his legs wouldn't hold his weight and he instead fell forward into the dirt.

Knox struggled to maintain consciousness and tried to crawl forward. Ava! He had to get to Ava! She was still in there. In the burning and slowly crumbing reactor.

Oh god.

Ava.

Knox's eyes started to drift close. Everything on his body was so heavy. He grit his teeth and tried to force himself to stay awake. His eyes were locked on the reactor.

Inside the fire he could make out something moving. Something staggering, walking forwards. Its steps were jerky and unfocused, but rapidly became more steady. Out of the fire stepped a charred and blackened corpse.

A corpse wearing a Chinese Stealth Suit.

Knox watched as skin began to grow in patches and hair began to sprout from the blackened scalp until Ava stood before him, concern filling her face as she stumbled down and knelt next to him. She was shouting at him, but Knox didn't hear. His vision was blacking out and everything was dampened and muffled.

"Knox!" she shouted. "KNOX!" Ava frantically began digging in Knox's satchel until she found a bag of RadAway. She propped the bag up on a rock and threaded the IV line into Knox's arm. She gave the bag a slight squeeze and watched it slowly drain into Knox's body. She checked his pulse and rad count with her PipBoy. She sighed. He was going to be all right.

Ava fell back onto her butt and put her head between her knees with a groan. Everything was sore. And her skin itched. It felt all wrong. She glanced at her PipBoy. 815 rads.

815 rads had put her back together. She groaned again.

How the hell was she going to explain this to Knox?

_So how'd it go? Anyone figure out I was building up the Rad Child perk? If so, please tell me when and how easy it was. Was I hamfisted? Was I subtle? Let me know! Drop a review, give a follow, bestow upon me a favorite if you are so inclined. See you next time._


	14. Ghost of the Legion

**May 7, 2280**

**18:00**

**Arizona**

**Northern edge of the Grand Canyon**

Knox and Ava walked along through the desert silently. For once Ava managed to keep her mouth shut, but not of some new found self-control. The silence was by all means awkward. She'd have loved to break it, but she didn't want to say the wrong thing.

She peeked out of the corner of her eye at Knox to find him staring at her. Her eyes flicked back forward before flicking to him again. Knox was still staring, concentrating hard.

"Er... watcha thinking about?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm debating whether or not shooting you in the leg would be worth it to see you stitch yourself back together," he said. His face betrayed no hint of a joke. The man was serious about it. He caught her look of offended surprise, so he tacked on hurriedly, "well, I mean, it wouldn't hurt you."

"Yes. Yes, it would hurt. About as much as getting shot ever does. And besides, I don't have enough rads to heal right now. So, please. Don't." Ava had immediately started a treatment of Rad-Away in New Mexico after making sure Knox wasn't dying. She'd never really suffered effects from radiation poisoning, but she'd walked around with radiation poisoning before and it was not pleasant.

"So, it's the radiation that lets you heal? That's why you went straight for the reactor in Los Alamos," Knox surmised aloud. "That's a mighty fine trick, Ava. Mighty fine indeed." His hand absentmindedly stroked the scar on his temple. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Ava.

"Yeah, right," she grumbled under her breath.

"What, you don't like being a superhuman?"

Ava sighed deeply. She'd been brief in explaining to Knox about the mutation that allowed her to heal with radiation, but hadn't told him the how of it all.

"Back in DC," she started, but faltered and fell silent. Knox watched her quietly and allowed her to gather her thoughts. He was well aware she disliked talking about DC. "Project Purity, you saw my father's body. He sabotaged the purifier to keep the Enclave away. The radiation was out of control. It killed him almost immediately." She faded into silence again.

Knox said nothing and the two kept walking without saying anything. It was nearly a full minute when Ava spoke again. She was struggling to speak.

"I had to go back. To fix it. The radiation, it was still... I thought... I thought I would die." She choked back a sob. "I _hoped_ I was going to die," she corrected. Ava took a deep, shaky breath. "Instead I was put into a coma. Two weeks later I woke up. Everyone chalked it up to one big miracle and I jumped right back into the fray. No idea at all what was happening to me."

"When did you find out?" asked Knox.

"I went back to Vault 87. The super mutants hive," she explained. "I was looking for a friend."

Knox looked at her quizzically. "A friend in Vault 87?"

Ava nodded. "He's a super mutant. His name is Fawkes. He was the one who originally helped me find the GECK in the Vault." Ava waved her hand back and forth trying to get back on topic. "Anyway, I didn't find him. I looked throughout the Vault, but he wasn't there. When I was getting ready to leave, a centaur attacked me. The floor wasn't stable and we fell through, right into one of the most heavily irradiated areas of the Vault. My Geiger counter was off the charts. Not that I noticed at the time. I was more concerned about the rebar sticking out of my chest."

Ava pointed at her sternum. "Three pieces. All sticking straight through me. I went into shock fast enough, but I wasn't dying. After a little while I tried pulling myself off it." Her face darkened at what was obviously an unpleasant memory. Knox couldn't imagine what doing that alone could have been like for her.

"Well, the rebar came out and the holes closed up. I thought I'd lost my mind, but no. I was just a freak."

Knox jabbed her in the side with his elbow. Ava jumped and glared at him reproachfully.

"Okay, Miss Freak. Enough of the self-pity," he said. "I thought you'd moved past all that suicidal nonsense you used to be all obsessed with."

"I am past it," Ava insisted. She stopped walking and balled her fists up in anger. "That being said, it still sucks thinking about all the times I wanted to die."

"Exactly," admonished Knox with a grin. "So stop thinking about it."

Ava started to argue with him, but Knox just reached into his satchel and pulled at a box of bubblegum. He tore open the packaging and crammed it in Ava's mouth.

"Here. Chew on that and stop talking."

Ava made an angry yowling noise around the fistful of gum being forced into her mouth, but relented and allowed herself to be silenced by the sugary treat.

"I'm glad you've got a nuclear band-aid, or atomic anesthetic, or that you're some sort of rad child," Knox said, pausing as he thought of each example. "Truthfully, I am. I mean it meant you were able to save my pretty face," he said with another smile.

Ava threateningly jabbed her fist at his nose, but Knox pulled his head back. "_And_ you're alive because of it. That's great."

Ava just kept angrily chewing the large wad of gum. Knox noticed her intentional silent treatment beyond the silence he'd forced on her. "I'm sorry for making fun of your past... difficulties. Alright?"

Ava said nothing, but jerked her head to the side as a reply, signaling Knox to keep walking. Knox grinned widely and tailed after her.

"You want to make camp anytime soon? Or do you plan on walking for as long as it takes you to finish chewing? I for one don't want to cross the canyon at night? Might get messy, but if you'd like... chew on!"

Ava swatted behind her blindly, but took his hint and dropped her duffel bag and rifle to the ground. She slid Clarity out from her belt and laid it down next to her belongings. Knox unslung his satchel and went off to gather some fire wood. The sun would be setting soon.

As Knox busied himself building the fire, Ava set about trying to find something for the two of them to eat. That something turned out to be a molerat that had made the poor decision to attack her. It had lunged for her Pipboy's light and locked its jaws on her forearm. Reflexively before even realizing what had occurred she'd driven Stab-happy through the animal's skull.

"Huh. I guess you're dinner," she said as she wrestled the now dead rat's jaws from her forearm. She spent a few more minutes hunting around for some tin cans before returning to camp.

She found Knox reclining against a boulder in front of the small fire he'd constructed. Ava held up the molerat and threw it at his feet.

"Dinner," she said. "You can cook." Ava grinned maliciously at him and threw the two tin cans she'd scavenged at his feet as well.

Knox sighed and rolled his eyes at her before leaning forward to grab the molerat and cans. He began cutting strips from the animal and depositing the cuts of meat in the cans. When they were full he stuck them in the fire before jerking his hand back from the hot flames.

When the meal was ready he unclipped the armor from his right forearm and used it to scoop the cans out of the fire. He set one in front of Ava and the other in front of himself. The two gently blew on the meat to cool it down before tucking into their meal.

Knox (usually content to be quiet) noticed Ava being more quiet than usual while eating. Normally, she'd pause mid-sentence to stuff more food in her mouth, but she would still be carrying on about some inane topic. Tonight was different.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Ava looked at him guiltily. "Actually it's your thoughts I'm more interested in." She set her unfinished meal down in front of her. Another warning sign.

Knox raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh really?"

"You asked me to trust you back in Los Alamos and not ask you about the Legion..."

Knox dropped his eyebrow and watched Ava cautiously, wondering where she was going with this.

"Are... are you part of Caesar's Legion?"

Her question came just as Knox was taking a bite of molerat. He inhaled sharply bringing the meat with the air. He began coughing and spluttering violently and pounded on his chest in an effort to clear his throat.

"N- no!" he managed to gasp out. He caught his breath for a moment, eyes watering, before continuing. "I am not a part of Caesar's Legion. What brought this up?"

Ava shrugged and motioned around them into the black night. "We're in Arizona. Legion territory," she said while waving her hands theatrically on either side of her face. "Just who are they, Knox?"

Knox put his meal aside and folded his hands in his lap and stared into the fire. The wood snapped and crackled under his gaze.

"Caesar's Legion is an autocratic society formed of 86 conquered tribes. It's led by a man named Edward Sallow, or more commonly called Caesar."

"So it's an army?"

Knox nodded. "An army of slaves. Each tribe is enslaved and brought into the ranks. They're trained, armored, and sent out to war. They've become one of the most competent empires in the Wasteland. All built on the backs of slaves."

Ava clasped her hand over her wrist without thinking, a nervous tick every time slaves were mentioned. "I _hate_ slavers," she said venomously.

Knox nodded again, but without the vigor Ava displayed. "As do I. But the Legion has its roots in some very old philosophies. Most of them aren't that bad. Sallow was once a New Canaanite. A group of people following an Old World religion."

This time Ava's hand strayed to the back of her scalp and the surgical scar left by Tobar the Ferryman and the Punga cult from Point Lookout. She caught herself though and brought her hand back to her lap.

"I hate religion too."

Knox chuckled at that, but returned his gaze to the fire, still pondering the Legion. "Do I think the Legion is good? Certainly not. However, they've got some very powerful leaders. And very powerful philosophy, be it the one of New Canaan or the one Caesar has perverted it into. If they continue to spread through the Wasteland, well, I don't know."

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" asked Ava more than a little confused.

Knox cracked his neck and picked his meal back up. "I remember you saying you wanted to save the Wasteland. Do you know how to do that?"

Ava shook her head.

"Me neither. But there are people out there who think they can. Caesar is one of them. And when I look at what he's accomplished, while I disagree with it, I can't help but see a future where the Wasteland isn't falling apart."

Knox grabbed another greasy piece of meat and tossed it into his mouth. "This has turned into far too serious a conversation for my tastes."

Ava's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious! You are _not_ going to just clam up like you usually do! No fucking way!"

Knox grinned mischievously at her as she ranted. He nearly burst out laughing when she knocked her cup of food over, but was silenced by the sound of snapping wood. His eyes flicked out into the darkness. Another crack, this one from the fire.

Knox narrowed his eyes. Was it just the fire? He listened hard, but couldn't hear anything over Ava's loud expressions of why Knox was an asshole. Knox got to his feet, one hand on his gun and looked out into the dark night. He unclipped a flashlight from his belt and clicked it on, illuminating the area in front of him.

"What are you doing?" asked Ava. Knox shushed her and took a slow step away from the fire.

Ava nervously grasped hold of Clarity. "Knox you're freaking me out."

"Quiet," he commanded. He didn't hear anything, but the hairs were standing to attention on the back of his neck and something didn't feel right. Knox had learned to trust that feeling.

"Knox," Ava called again.

"Damn it, Ava, if I have to shove sweets in your mouth again, so help me-"

"Courier. I wouldn't have expected to see you in Arizona. Changed your flag again perhaps?"

Ava and Knox both jumped at the sound of the voice coming from behind them, but it was Knox Ava was more worried about. She expected him to whirl around gun drawn, but instead he'd frozen, his hand fell off his gun. Ava quickly stepped into a protective position, Clarity drawn and ready to attack, until a restraining hand fell on her shoulder.

It was Knox.

"You're not in the Divide," he stated matter-of-factly, while stepping between Ava and the voice. Out of the darkness stepped a tall, dark skinned man. He was clad in a sleeveless duster and had a breathing mask hanging around his neck. His long black hair was done in dreads and fell across his face.

"Heard you were dead. Had to find out for myself. Found out."

The man's deep voice made Ava's skin crawl. His eyes were shadowed and haunted and entirely fixated on Knox.

"I've been away."

The man continued to stare impassively. "Far away... but how far? And why? What's changed?"

Ava's eyes flicked between the man and Knox. That voice, it just got into her head! Just like...

Just like how Knox could get into her head.

"Nothing's changed. Just a debt repaid. Nothing for you to worry about. Nothing needing you to leave the Divide."

The Divide again. Was this man from the Divide?

With his arms crossed, the man continued speaking. "Everything changes. Always. You know this all too well, Courier. The difference one man makes. The difference you make." He walked forward and had a seat in the spot recently vacated by Ava. Knox slowly sank down into the dirt as well. Ava was too wired to sit, but with a motion from Knox she did sheathe Clarity.

"Ulysses."

"Courier."

Knox steepled his fingers in front of his face and met the man's unwavering gaze. "You heard that I was dead?"

Ulysses nodded. "My brothers still wander the wastes even if I do not. The network remains unbroken. But when you vanished... people noticed. I noticed.

"Your brothers?" asked Knox. "You're not alone out here. Are you, Ulysses?"

In answer to Knox's question, torches lit up in a large ring around them. Ava counted ten. Illuminated in their orange glow she could make out the same armor she'd seen worn by the Legion in New Mexico. She tried to draw her sword, but Knox grabbed her wrist and none too gently yanked her down next to him.

He hadn't broken eyes with Ulysses. "You really didn't need to bring them."

Ulysses mouth peaked in a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I am but one man. The Wasteland is a large place to look."

"But one man can make all the difference." Knox quoted Ulysses words back at him. This time the smile was genuine on Ulysses face. He rose to his feet and dusted his pants off.

"Glad you're not dead. History wouldn't be the same. Too much lost already. Too much to be gained." And on that Ulysses turned to walk away back into the night.

Ava stared at the Old World flag painted on his duster in utter confusion. What just happened?

"Frumentarius! Where are you going?" A loud voice shouted.

Apparently Ava wasn't the only one wondering what was up with Ulysses. One of the torch-wielding Legionaries stepped forward. He thrust his torch into one of the other soldier's hands. He was clad in patchwork armor, but Ava recognized pieces taken from Brotherhood power armor. A large red plume sprung from the top of his helmet.

"Halt!" he shouted. "Where are you going?"

Ulysses paused and looked over his shoulder. "To the Divide. My quest's done. My vigil awaits."

The Legionary snorted, unsatisfied with the answer. "Who is this man?" He pointed at Knox.

"Ask him."

Without another word Ulysses kept walking off into the night. The soldier whirled around towards Knox, drawing his short sword in one fluid movement. The other Legionaries all dropped their torches and drew their machetes and guns.

Ava tried to shoot up, but Knox held her firm. Instead he casually reached into his pocket and pulled out his coin again.

The Legionary, obviously the one in charge, strode forward. "You. Identify yourself," he commanded Knox.

Knox flicked the coin up and into the Legionary's hand. His eyes glanced at the coin and widened in recognition.

"You bear the Mark of Caesar. Explain."

Knox got to his feet and stepped over the fire to stand in front of the Legionary. "No."

The Legionary furrowed his brow and a vein bulged angrily in his neck. He was clearly very unused to someone refusing him.

"How dare you! You insolent scum! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" he bellowed.

Knox just calmly held out his hand and repeated, "No."

"I am a Centurion in Caesar's Legion! I will not be disrespected by a profligate like you!" he yelled in Knox's face.

Ava watched Knox carefully, waiting to see what his response was. To her surprise it was a very different tact from his earlier quiet refusal.

Knox backhanded the Centurion across the face and shouted just as loudly back. "And I bear the Mark of Caesar and you would dare dishonor me?!"

The Centurion stumbled back from the force of the blow. His men shifted uneasily. One took a step forward, but Ava cracked Clarity from its sheathe and stared him down. The Centurion looked like he wanted nothing more than to strike Knox back, but Ava could tell Knox's words were holding him at bay. Clever bastard.

Knox held his hand out once more. After a few moments, the Centurion placed the coin in his palm with a snarl.

"Now," said Knox, "Identify yourself."

The vein bulged in the Centurion's neck again. Ava almost thought it would burst.

"I am Centurion Maximus."

"Well then Centurion Maximus, I suggest you return to the rest of your century and go back to your camp. You have no further business here."

"With all due respect, I disagree," he spat out between clenched teeth.

Ava chose this moment to chime in. "That didn't sound very respectful to me."

Both Knox and Maximus shot Ava looks. However, while Knox's was one of mild irritation, Ava couldn't help, but be slightly afraid at the look Maximus gave her. It spoke volumes about all the terrible things he would gladly do to her.

Maximus turned back to Knox. "Keep your woman's mouth shut or I will be forced to do it myself."

Ava took a step towards Maximus, but Knox held her back. "His woman? I don't think anyone wearing a skirt should be throwing stones!"

"How dare you, whore!" Maximus took a step forward and raised a hand to hit Ava. Behind Knox, Ava was slowly drawing her sword. Knox put on hand on Clarity's pommel and firmly pushed it back into its sheathe and with his free hand he drew A Light Shining In Darkness and placed it below the lip of Maximus's helmet.

"As I said, Maximus. I think it's time you left."

Maximus glared between Ava and Knox for a few moments before whirling away with an angry growl.

"This isn't over, woman!" He stalked off into the night, his Legionaries hurrying to follow.

"No, it isn't over, girly-man!" Ava shouted after his retreating form.

She stood next to Knox for a few minutes, making sure that Maximus didn't come back. Eventually Knox deemed it safe to sit back down next to the fire.

"So that was Caesar's Legion," Ava said, breaking the silence.

"Yep."

"I take it they don't like women?"

Knox gave a humorless laugh. "You have no idea."

"You gonna tell me why you have the Mark of Caesar?"

Knox lay back with his head on his satchel and pulled his hat low over his eyes. "Give it time, Ava. Give it time. Now get some shut eye. We'll be in Nevada tomorrow."

Ava couldn't suppress a small smile. Nevada. Her new home. And they were almost there.


	15. Almost Home

_Hey, hi, what's up. Forgot this part on the last chapter. Welcome to the penultimate chapter of Frontier Dreaming! Just one more after this. I'm both excited and a little sad. Shattered Illusions started off as a bit of an experiment, but Frontier Dreaming turned out differently. You guys and gals showed me you actually cared about these characters and wanted to hear more about them. Thus you all inspired me to create three more parts after this; all of which are much larger than Shattered Illusions or Frontier Dreaming. I thank you for that inspiration. Fun fact: within 48 hours of posting the last chapter, Frontier Dreaming had over 150 unique views. You guys rock and I hope to be doing this for a long while yet._

**May 10, 2280**

**13:30**

**Nipton, California**

**Outskirts of town**

Ava stumbled along miserably behind Knox. The stupid, mustache-twirling Courier seemed immune to the ridiculous heat pounding down on them. Ava however was sweating like a pig in the stealthsuit. The suit's temperature regulators were great when keeping heat from escaping to stay hidden, but did little in the way of breathability. When Knox had suggested she take it off to cool down, Ava had scoffed in denial and kept walking.

Now she was panting like a dog with the stealthsuit's torso tied around her waist and her shirt off and draped lazily over her head.

"How much farther," she whined, her voice taking on an annoying, high-pitched, and extraordinarily unbecoming quality.

Knox threw his head back in exasperation. "For fuck's sake," he cried. "We're basically here! See the houses? Town center is just ahead of us." Knox pointed and Ava could indeed see the tall, spired building in the center.

"However," Knox continued, glancing around, "I'm not sure where everyone is. I expected to see some activity. At least some business."

"Maybe all the merchants decided to pack it away to avoid combusting from the _outrageous, goddamned heat_!"

Ava paused to take a swig of water and Knox chuckled at her. Living on the East Coast had not prepared her at all for the Mojave heat. Knox looked away from Ava and took a closer examination of the decrepit buildings around him.

"It's actually not merchants I'm looking for. It's…" he said before trailing off. Ava looked at him expectantly from under the meager shade her shirt was providing her face. "Well, it's… it's _whores_ I'm looking for."

"What?" Ava cried in confusion.

"Nipton's kind of a not so nice place. It's actually extraordinarily scummy," he explained while continuing to look around.

"Why? Because of the whores?" Ava replied indignantly, putting her hands on her hips and shooting a glare at Knox.

Knox ignored the look and walked over to one of the buildings and rubbed a clear patch in a window and peered in.

"You get very testy every time I mention one of your past professions." Ava stuck her tongue out at him. "Maybe you should talk to someone about it," Knox suggested jokingly.

Ava rolled her eyes and snorted, "As if."

Knox turned back to Ava. "Do you smell that?" he asked suddenly serious.

Ava sniffed the air. There was something. She sniffed deeper like a dog. She cocked her head to the side and looked at Knox. "Barbecue?"

Knox looked at her like she was crazy. "Something burning sure, but barbecue?" he said while pulling out A Light Shining In Darkness. Ava shared his unease and drew Clarity. They skirted along the edge of the street towards the center of town.

"Do you think raiders?" Ava whispered.

"No. Nipton's too well protected by the NCR. Raiders don't have the stones. Well, none except the Fiends, but this is way too far south. Honestly… Do you want the good news or the bad news?" Knox asked her as he peered around a corner to judge if the coast was clear to advance again.

"Bad news," she replied.

Knox sighed. "It's probably Legion. And that's real bad because as I said this town is very well protected by the NCR. If the Legion is this far across the Colorado River and attacking NCR sights, things aren't going too well here in the Mojave."

"And the good news?" Ava asked, frowning.

"No smoke. Means they're probably already gone. Town's deserted."

"Fucking great," swore Ava.

She glanced at Knox, expecting a cheeky remark, but instead she saw his face hard.

"I've been away too long," he muttered. "Things are going to shit."

Ava was about to ask him to clarify, but the Courier was already moving. Ava followed him around the corner and ran smack into his back. He'd stopped dead in the street. Ava rubbed her face where it had collided with his body armor and grumbled unhappily before stepping around him.

She looked up at his face. His eyes were averted and he was slowly shaking his head. She turned to see what he was trying not to look at. She couldn't help, but gasp in horror.

Lining Nipton's main street were a multitude of crudely fashioned crosses. Hanging from each was a person. Their hands and feet were nailed to the crosses. None of them were moving. Their lips were cracked and their bodies bloodied. Carrion birds had already settled on a few. Some had been lit on fire while on the crosses. That explained the smell… and made Ava want to throw up the contents of her stomach.

Ava sank to her knees, her mouth hanging open. Her body rested on Clarity, driven point first into the cracked street.

"Knox…" she managed to croak.

"I know," he replied. "I know."

Ava glanced up to his face again. His lips were pressed firmly together and his eyes were steeled, but she could still sense the rage behind the carefully controlled mask.

"And you admire them."

The barbed words were out before Ava realized what she was saying. They slipped out before she could stop them. She wasn't mad at Knox, she was just mad. Mad that this could happen. And she was taking it out on him.

Knox sneered at her and turned to walk away. Despite not having her heart in the insult, the words still hurt. And to Knox they hurt a lot.

"I don't admire them, Ava. I would be quite content if the Legion collectively dropped dead."

Ava hurried to her feet and caught his shoulder, spinning him around. "Then what was all that bullshit about the strength of Caesar? Just because a psycho with delusions of grandeur has ideas doesn't mean they're good!"

Knox laughed bitterly. "And you're the expert on psychos aren't you?" His words were sharp and meant to wound. Ava's comment had hurt more than she realized. Enough to make Knox strike back.

Before Ava could retaliate, Knox carried on. "Caesar? General Fucking Oliver? The Brotherhood? The Followers? They've all got ideas. And their ideas are tearing the Mojave, my goddamned home apart! AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP IT!"

Knox took a deep breath. "I'm trying my best. That's all I can do. I might not have a plan, but someone out there does. And I'll follow it until I find a better one. I was a bad person, Ava. You read my fucking journal, you know. I didn't deserve a second chance, but I got one anyway. Legion strength? NCR unity? They don't have the right idea. New Vegas, the whole Mojave, can be more than either of them thinks it can."

He stared at Ava, the anger starting to bleed away. "I fight to the best of the ability to make it that way. If that means working with the Legion at times or being the NCR's messenger boy then so be it. There are bigger people than me to figure that out. I just do what I can."

They stared at each other in silence for a few moments. Ava broke it by punching Knox in the arm. Hard.

"You arrogant prick!"

Knox stumbled back, bewildered at the unexpected blow.

"You make fun of me for wanting to save people. And you! You just want to do the same thing!"

Ava stomped her foot and glared at Knox, her lip pouting and her eyes fiery. She brandished Clarity at him threateningly. "I should break your nose again!"

"Ava, please don't-" Knox paused mid-sentence as he saw movement over Ava's shoulder.

Ava missed the widening of Knox's eyes as she saw a blur of something fast approaching behind him.

"Knox!"

"Ava!"

"GET DOWN!" They shouted in unison.

Knox drew both pistols on either side of Ava's head and began firing at the two Legionaries who had walked around the corner. Ava ducked under his arm and brought Clarity up in a long sweep, neatly bisecting the Legion mongrel that was jumping at Knox's back.

"Deserted my ass," she screamed as animal blood sprayed up on her face and more Legionaries flooded into the town square.

"Shut up and kill them," was Knox's only reply as he dove to the side while blowing the brains of one of the Legionaries out the back of his head. He rolled to his feet and brutally pistol whipped the other in the face before he had a chance to fire. With his free gun he fired four times in a vertical line up the man's chest.

He whirled around to cover Ava, but found she had the situation well in hand. Three Legionaries were attempting to push her back; each had their machetes drawn, but Ava's reach was longer with Clarity and she nimbly blocked their swings and parried. The first Legionary to fall was unable to bring his blade up to defend himself as Ava spun with Clarity on her shoulders. The other two jumped back to avoid the scything blade, but the third wasn't fast enough. The tip of the blade scraped across his neck, slitting his throat.

As his body dropped Ava jumped and rolled across his back. She stabbed down with Clarity, the point driving right through the vulnerable neck portion of another Legionary's armor. It slid through bone and flesh before piercing the back of his armor and jutting out.

The last surviving Legionary struggled to bring his gun up and shoot Ava while back pedaling nervously. Ava used Clarity like a handle and held the fallen Legionary speared on her blade like a shield to absorb any bullets in her way.

"Knox, if you would?"

"Gladly," he replied and almost absentmindedly shot the Legionary in the face.

Ava shrugged off the corpse she was using as armor and wiped some blood from her face with little success.

"Now what?" she asked.

Knox stepped over the body of the man he shot and walked over to her, handing her a bandana. "Now we find the rest of the bastards."

He strode past Ava towards the town hall. Ava scrubbed at her face and followed closely. She tried to hand the bandana back to him, but he just told her to keep it.

They neared the town hall which was surrounded by more crucifixions and directly in front were more Legionaries. Ava spotted four soldiers and one, what had Knox called him in New Mexico? A Frumentarius. The dog headed bastard was speaking to a man dressed all in denim. Stenciled across his back were the letters NCRCF.

The man looked positively ecstatic. With a loud cry of exultation he sprinted away from the Legionaries and past Knox and Ava without even acknowledging them.

The Legionaries however, all had their rifles shouldered and aimed at them. Knox and Ava stood at the ready. If either side fired now, it would be a bloodbath. They were just waiting to see who blinked first.

The Frumentarius turned to observe them with a cold gaze from under the jaw of his dog's head helmet. "How interesting! You're the profligate courier who's been of some assistance to the Legion."

Knox stiffened next to Ava. Clearly he hadn't expected to be recognized. Ava wondered just how far he carried his façade with the Legion.

"Don't worry, I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates," the Frumentarius said pleasantly. "It's useful that you happened by."

"And just why is that?" Knox asked coldly. His sights were firmly entrenched on the Frumentarius's forehead.

"I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then, when you move on? I want you teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here, especially any NCR troops you run across."

As the Frumentarius spoke more Legionaries spilled from the buildings around Knox and Ava. The two were soon an island in a sea of red. Neither lowered their weapons.

"Just what lesson is that?" Ava spat, her teeth revealed in a feral snarl.

The Frumentarius turned his gaze on Ava with a chuckle. "I will forgive you for speaking to me that way only because I require your services, woman. Lesson… Where to begin? They are weak, and we are strong? This much was already known," he said, shrugging dismissively. Ava growled deep in her throat.

"But the depths of their moral sickness, their… dissolution?" he continued. "Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson. Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers. So long as they paid." His eyes flicked to one of the bodies on the crucifixes. It was a woman dressed in only her underwear.

"Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself – the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores. For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it too."

Knox slowly lowered his pistols, noticing the men surrounding them. Ava kept her sword up in anger. Knox met the Frumentarius's eyes. "You captured _everyone?_"

"Yes, and herded them to the center of the town like cattle. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty," he said proudly. "Then I announced the lottery. The losers," he gestured widely at all the corpses. "And the winner you just saw leave. They didn't even try to fight back."

The Frumentarius almost sounded disappointed. Ava choked back a sob as angry tears splashed from her eyes. "I'm going to wear your head like you wear that dog's!" she growled violently and took a step forward.

"Legionnaries?!" shouted the Frumentarius in surprise as he unknowingly took a step away from Ava. The blood lust in her face was enough to shake the unflappable Legionary.

Knox caught Ava's arm and pulled her back. "We'll deliver your message." Ava stared angrily at Knox, but he tightened his grip on her arm when she opened her mouth to protest.

The Frumentarius stood up straight again and cleared his throat. "…Good. Legionaries. We go," he commanded.

As he walked past Ava and Knox his eyes never left Ava's.

"Frumentarius," called Knox and grabbed the passing Frumentarius by the shoulder.

The man stopped and looked at Knox.

"Your name," Knox asked. "So that the next time I am in Caesar's land I may find you and speak with you again."

The smile on Knox's face was unnerving as he stared unblinkingly at the Frumentarius.

"Vulpes… Inculta," replied the Legionary uncertainly. Knox nodded and released his arm, allowing him to follow his men out of Nipton.

Ava and Knox stood watching the Legion leave Nipton.

"Why didn't you let me kill him?" hissed Ava angrily, the bloodlust and adrenaline not quite having left her system yet.

"Because," Knox said, his eyes still on the Legion, "I'm going to kill that bastard myself."

He broke his eyes away and started walking the opposite direction. "But not today," he said bitterly. "Not when I'm this close," he held up two fingers almost touching, "to getting you to Goodsprings. Now come on!"

Ava sheathed Clarity and sprinted after him. "Wait! We're going to Goodsprings right now!? I can't go to Goodsprings right now! I'm all bloody and sweaty and… and… and I'm really bloody!"

"We're not going to Goodsprings right now. Don't worry. We're headed to the Mojave Outpost actually."

Ava, mid-attempt to remove blood from herself with the now filthy bandana Knox gave her, paused and looked at him. "Mojave Outpost?"

Knox pointed into the distance. Ava could faintly see two massive figures standing in between two hills. Statues, she guessed. Whoever had time to build giant statues in the Wasteland had their priorities seriously messed up.

"It's the NCR's outpost in the Southwest. All NCR traffic coming from California into the Mojave goes through there," he said before taking pity on Ava and walking over to help her clean her face. He licked his forefinger and slid it across her forehead, creating a clean patch.

Ava shuddered in disgust, but allowed him to finish cleaning her face. "Why are we going there?"

"Someone has to tell the NCR that Nipton's been slaughtered. They're the only law out this ways," he explained with a shrug.

"You're actually going to do what that dog-headed fucktard asked you to?" blanched Ava.

Knox shook his head and stepped back from scrubbing Ava's face and surveyed his handiwork. The blood was at least off her main features.

"I'm not going to just run around screaming about it for every enlisted man to hear, no. But I will tell somebody. Hopefully, I can get hold of a ranger. They might even be able to track Inculta down."

"I thought you wanted to kill him yourself," Ava reminded him, her displeasure at being unable to wear Vulpes Inculta's head as a trophy already forgotten.

Knox smiled slightly. "He's too smart to be taken down by a band of rangers. But it'd be mighty annoying for him. And at the end of the day if you can't kill the guy, at least you can cause him some misery." Knox was smiling widely at the thought of Vulpes being haunted and harried by NCR Rangers all the way back to Caesar's camp. It was a very entertaining day dream.

"Anyway," Knox said, "We have to get to Mojave Outpost first. Shouldn't take that long honestly. We'll probably spend the night there. Head for Goodsprings in the morning."

Ava's shoulders fell slightly at that. She'd left DC with the allure of family back west, but now, after travelling with Knox for so long and saving each other more times than she could count (though she was fairly certain Knox did have a tally running that he could hold over her), she wasn't sure if she could just walk away from the Courier.

Despite their differences they were friends now. And Ava didn't want to have to leave any more friends behind.

"What's up?" Knox had noticed her sudden depression in mood.

"I- er- well… I dunno, Knox… I guess I'm just nervous about meeting him, Doc Mitchell I mean," she covered. No way would she ever let Knox know she was worried about him leaving. His ego might burst if it got any larger.

Knox smirked and put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Doc Mitchell is a good man. You've got nothing to worry about."

Now that they were discussing it, Ava was getting a little worried about it. Shit, the man had hired Knox to find her father and mother, not her. He didn't even know she existed, let alone anything about her.

"What if… he doesn't like me?" she asked quietly, her eyes downcast.

Knox looked genuinely surprised. "What's not to like?"

"I'm angry, violent, and was once upon a time a murderous psychopath," she deadpanned.

Knox was unimpressed. He shrugged and started walking out of Nipton.

"Eh, whatever. It's the Mojave. You've got to be both a little violent and angry or you're dead."

Ava couldn't see his face, but she could tell he had a big ass grin plastered to it. His nonchalance managed to give rise to small smile on her face though and she tagged along after him towards Mojave Outpost. Leaving the horrors of Nipton behind, they started walking. Tomorrow…

Tomorrow it was off to Goodsprings.

Home.

_As I said at the beginning, the next chapter is the last one. However, I won't have it up immediately. I've been trying to put chapters up each Sunday and I put this one up on Wednesday because I know how busy I'll be for the next week or so. I want to post the first chapter of Dead Man's Hand at the same time as the last chapter of Frontier Dreaming and unfortunately Dead Man's Hand needs some pretty big story streamlining before I can write a chapter, so the next update will probably be no sooner than two weeks. I've got work work, school work, story work, and two chapters to write. It'll be busy. But who knows, you'll all probably get lucky and see everything up in like four days. Hopefully._

_Anyway you all are fantastic, I'd love it if you'd leave a review or shoot me a PM asking a question about the story. The feedback is wonderful. Love you all and see you next time._


	16. Culture Shock

_This is it. The final chapter. I'm just swollen with feels. I hope you all like it and I hope that you've enjoyed reading Frontier Dreaming as much as I've enjoyed writing it. So please: read and enjoy._

**May 11, 2280**

**9:00**

**Nevada**

**Goodsprings**

"You seem rather quiet. And pale. Jesus, you like a ghost… Uh, Ava?"

Knox caught Ava as she tipped backwards nearly crashing through a makeshift fence penning in several Brahmin. The owner of the animals gave Knox an odd look as he swore and slowly lowered Ava to the ground.

"I- I can't do this. There's no way. I _cannot_ do this," Ava said her eyes frantic. Knox was right when he said she was pale. All the color had drained from her skin and she'd broken into a sweat that had nothing to do with the light heat of the morning.

Knox gently propped her up against a fence post and seated himself next to her in the dust. He handed her his canteen, but she just held it without drinking and kept staring off into space.

"You can. He's just one old guy. What's to be afraid of?" Knox asked, nudging Ava with his elbow.

She didn't respond, but Knox noticed her grip tighten on the canteen and shoulders quiver slightly. "I can't," she insisted quietly.

Knox sat thoughtfully in silence for a moment, allowing Ava to have her moment before he responded. "Ava, you traveled across the entire country for this moment. To meet your family. To meet Doc Mitchell. The shit you've been through, hell, the shit _we've_ been through… you deserve this; to finally have a family again."

Knox looked over at her and smiled, but the smile quickly slid off his face. "Holy Christ, are you going into shock!?"

Ava sat there quivering, her eyes unfocused. Knox could hear the water splashing around in the canteen she clutched in a white knuckled grip. Knox scurried to his feet and grabbed one of Ava's wrists and pulled her up, supporting the majority of her body weight on his shoulder.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? He's one old man! God damn it…"

Knox started to walk towards Goodsprings saloon, forcing Ava along with him. Dragging her along might be the more accurate.

"You're meeting Mitchell! Whether I have to get you drunk or not remains to be seen. His house is right fucking there. If I were any less of a good guy, I'd drop your comatose body on his doorstep," Knox griped as he pulled Ava up the steps into the Prospector Saloon, her boots thudding up the step.

Knox shifted his grip under her arm pits and pulled the poor girl towards the front door. Knox gave a quick nod to the elderly man seated on the porch smoking a pipe.

"Hiya, Pete," Knox greeted with a grunt as he backed through the doorway into the bar, trying to keep Ava's feet from getting shut in the door.

"Howdy," was Easy Pete's only reply and a slight raising of the eyebrow as Knox gave one more mighty heave and Ava's legs disappeared into the Saloon. Pete nodded and went back to his pipe.

Inside the saloon, Knox ignored the patrons as he propped Ava up in a booth against the wall. She started to slide away, but Knox poked her in the shoulder until she was firmly against the wall. He turned and walked to the bar. He knocked on the counter to get Trudy, the owner's, attention.

"Glass of whiskey please." He glanced back to Ava who was still staring shell shocked into space. "Actually, a bottle please. Thanks." Knox took the bottle from Trudy and pulled some caps out.

"What brings you back into town, Knox? Thought we'd seen the last of you the last time you rolled out."

"Uhhhh, business," Knox replied absentmindedly, counting caps out on the countertop to pay for the bottle.

"Hmph, business, right," Trudy snorted. The barkeep returned to cleaning out glasses. As Knox moved to go back to the booth he'd left Ava in, Trudy called him back. "Isn't she a little young for you?"

"Hardy-har. I'm here on delivery, Trudy," he explained, hoping it would be enough to get the nosy owner of the saloon to leave him alone. "She'd here for Doc Mitchell."

"Isn't she even younger for him?" she asked wryly, rolling her eyes.

Knox narrowed his eyes. "I'm not liking what you're insinuating here."

"About the Doc?"

"About _her_," Knox said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Ava. "She's the Doc's granddaughter."

Trudy's jaw dropped open, but before she could ask for more juicy gossip, Knox turned his back on her and moved back over to Ava.

He plopped down onto the worn cushions with a sigh. He probably shouldn't have spilt the beans like that on who Ava was before taking her to see Doc Mitchell, but it was worth it just to get Trudy to stop talking. Apparently he was getting as touchy about people calling Ava a whore as Ava herself was.

If that's not friendship then Knox didn't know what was.

He snickered to himself. Well, maybe what he was about to do was _also_ friendship.

Knox slapped the cap off the bottle of whisky on the scuffed wood of the table, nimbly catching and pocketing the cap as it spun into the air. He leaned across the table and pinched Ava's nose shut between his thumb and forefinger. As she opened her mouth to breathe Knox quickly shoved the bottle of whiskey to her lips and tilted it up.

As Ava unwittingly swallowed her eyes widened and teared up as the burning alcohol raced down her throat. She swatted the bottle away and started coughing and spluttering trying to catch her breath.

Knox gave her a small smile and glanced at the nearly empty bottle of whiskey. "Wow. Nearly the whole bottle. Impressive," he remarked casually.

"What… the… _fuck_!?" Ava gasped angrily as she glared at him through the burning tears.

Knox shrugged and tossed back the last of the whiskey in the bottle. "Sorry, but your pity party was getting a little too extreme for me."

Knox set the bottle on the table gently and met Ava's gaze. "Joking aside. Are you okay, Ava?"

The anger melted from Ava's face and her shoulders sagged. "I'm… I'm scared," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Knox chuckled. The chuckling started to build until he was full on laughing. Some of the other bar goers tossed him quick looks of irritation. Ava's look was slightly more than irritated. She kicked him under the table, but her foot painfully ricocheted off his body armor for the umpteenth time. She swore in pain and served only to make Knox laugh even louder.

"Stop laughing! KNOX!"

Knox managed to get his laughter under control, but the infuriating smile didn't leave his face. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "You're scared? You're the Lone fucking Wanderer! You've survived more shit than anybody. And that's coming from me, the guy who was executed!"

Ava leaned forward just the slightest bit wobbly. "Yes! I'm scared! I've lost all the family I've ever had and all the friends too! My mother… dead! My father… dead! My fucking dog… dead! I can't go through that again! I'm not going to doom someone else."

"Oh, quit being such a coward!" snapped Knox. Ava sat back in her seat stunned. "You're not scared of someone else dying because of you, you're scared of losing someone else."

Ava could feel tears starting to well up at the corners of her eyes. Her fingers dug into the wooden top of the table. She felt Knox's hand rest on her forearm.

"You don't need to be scared of losing someone, Ava. We're going to walk out of this bar and you're going to find someone instead."

The smile was back on Knox's face as he got to his feet and held a hand out for Ava. She tentatively took and it got unsteadily to her feet.

"But-"

"No buts," Knox interrupted. "No more loss."

Ava leaned into Knox's side heavily. She took a shuddering breath, trying to steady herself. "I'm going to lose you," she murmured quietly.

Knox rolled his eyes and groaned. "I work in Vegas. That's like a two day walk North of here. It's not exactly crossing into the great beyond."

"But- but- You're going to be leaving again!" Ava insisted, desperately trying to grasp hold of the last straws of her fear. But even as those words were leaving her mouth Knox was already shooting her down as they stepped back out into the morning sunlight.

"I work in the Mojave. Getting you was a special case and after the amount of trouble I had to go through, no more special cases. You need to get ahold of me, look no further."

Knox pointed to a drop box in front of the general store. "Just drop a message there. It'll find me."

Knox stopped and held Ava in front of him at arm's length. He tried to meet her eyes, but she kept looking away until he grabbed her chin. She ruefully met his gaze.

"You ready for this? That's his house." Knox tilted his head to the white house sitting up on the hill behind them.

Ava swallowed, her eyes locked on the house. "He lives there? I don't… I'm not sure I can do this!"

Knox pulled her forwards, one arm held tight on her shoulder. "Calm down. You're Ava Mitchell, Little Miss 101, the Lone Wanderer. You took out the goddamned Enclave. You can meet your grandfather."

"My… grandfather," she said quietly. Her eyes flicked from the house over to Knox. She gave one jerky nod, but her mouth was clamped shut. Ava was afraid she'd vomit if she opened it.

Knox gave her a returning nod and a reassuring smile before turning and leading the way up to Doc Mitchell's front door. Ava swallowed and braced herself to follow him. With one hand resting tightly on Clarity's hilt she followed along in his shadow up the hill to Doc Mitchell's home.

The sun reflected of the house's bleached white walls and a pale blue Nevada Commonwealth flag was fluttering in the light breeze. Ava could feel the sweat on her brow chill as the wind blew. Knox glanced over his shoulder at her to see if she was doing all right. Ava met his eyes and nodded in determination despite her stomach doing backflips.

Knox stepped up to the door and raised a hand to knock, but was held back by Ava.

"Knox, wait!"

Knox lowered his hand and turned around to the nervous wreck hiding behind him. Ava was standing in the entry way to the gate, a good five feet back from the porch.

"He was expecting my dad. He doesn't know me and… and my dad is dead because of me."

Knox could tell Ava was holding back a massive panic attack, but he marveled at how well she was handling herself. Her hands were clenched tight, but they weren't shaking and after a bottle of whiskey her eyes were focused on him.

"I can't tell you how this is gonna play out. No one can tell you that. But what I can tell you is this. Doc Mitchell is one of the most generous and honest hearted people I know. And you," Knox walked up to Ava and poked her in the chest, "are one of the strongest I've ever met. You've taken every beating the world could throw at you and you got back up, soul intact. You and your grandfather are two genuine good people."

Ava took a deep breath and wiped her eyes dry. "Okay. I… thank you, Knox. Thank you for everything."

Knox returned the smile. "Eh, you know it's just a job."

"I stopped buying that heartless mercenary act a long time ago."

With a chuckle, Knox said, "Heartless mercenary? I was going for a gruff exteriored courier with a heart of gold. Your Brahmin-shit meter might need some readjustments."

"Maybe you just need better Brahmin-shit," she retorted. "Now are you going to keep stalling or are we going to meet my grandfather?"

"That's the spirit."

Knox turned back around and pulled his hat off. He reached out a hand to knock on the door. He rapped on the wood three times. The knocks echoed back and behind him and resonated deep in Ava's bones. The drums of fate were pounding and here she stood; in the dust of a Nevada town thousands of miles from where she was born, about to meet her last surviving family.

"Hold on just a moment, I'll be out in a sec."

Ava jumped at the voice shouting from within the house. That was him! Doc Mitchell: her grandfather!

Wood creaked as footsteps fell within the old house. Ava stared wild-eyed over Knox's shoulder at the door. The breeze started to blow harder and a tumbleweed bounced off her calf, but it went unnoticed. The whole world had narrowed down to the door. She could hear the handle groan as the door was wrenched from the frame.

"How may I help you- Oh! It's you. You're back. Almost wondered if I'd ever see you again."

Ava's eyes dropped to the dirt focusing on the cracked and faded steps Knox was standing on. Directly in front of his boots was a pair of faded black cowboy boots. The owner was resting heavily on his left and was gently scuffing his other back and forth.

"I'd certainly been hoping you didn't get yourself killed after all the work I did putting you back together."

Knox snorted softly.

"What news do you have?"

That voice again. It clawed painfully at Ava's heart, so different yet so reminiscent of her father's.

"I wish I had better news for you, but your son was already dead when I reached DC," Knox said gently.

"DC? He made it all the way to DC…" The voice sighed deeply. A sigh Ava was so familiar with. It was the same sigh her father gave every time she misbehaved as a child. "And his wife? Catherine, is she…"

"I'm sorry, but she died years earlier. Childbirth."

Ava watched the cowboy boots straighten out. Their owner had stood up straight.

"Childbirth? They had a child? Is he alive? Did you find him? Where is he?" The voice was excited now.

"She."

Ava nearly jumped as Knox stepped aside. Ava could almost feel the penetrating gaze of the man standing in the doorway to the home. She slowly raised her eyes to see her grandfather for the first time. His mouth dropped below his pristine, white mustache. His head was bald and gleaming in the Mojave sunlight, but Ava could only see the unmistakable resemblance between him and her father and… her.

"Um… Hi. I'm Ava… I- I guess I'm your granddaughter," she said softly. She winced at how lame the words sounded.

Doc Mitchell took a step forward past Knox. "My god… Look at you. You look just like your dad."

"I-"

The words were cut off in Ava's throat as Mitchell embraced her in a massive bear hug, clutching the poor girl to his chest. Ava stood uncomfortably for a moment before slowly raising her arms and returning the hug.

This was her grandfather and everything was okay.

Before she could even think of fighting off the tears, they began to fall. Ava sobbed into his shoulder, all the pain and suffering bleeding out to be replaced by some sort of happiness she hadn't felt in a long, long time. Her heart throbbed in her chest and Ava felt physically unsteady as she held onto her grandfather.

"It's all right, darling. Everything's all right," he whispered to her as he just held her.

Knox stepped around them awkwardly. "Looks like you have some catching up to do. I'll be in the saloon. We can discuss payment when you're ready." He pulled his hat back onto his head and low over his eyes.

"Knox!? No! Wait!" Ava squeaked from within Mitchell's embrace. She broke away from him, but was stopped by Knox.

"You're gonna be fine. Talk to your grandfather." Knox gently pushed her back towards the house and started down the hill.

He didn't look back. He just put one foot in front of the other. He heard Doc Mitchell herd Ava inside and the door shut. Knox smiled. He was happy for Ava. She deserved happiness more than anyone he knew. Certainly more than him. Knox wandered down to the saloon again in contemplative silence.

Funny how the quiet could become so abnormal. After traveling alone for so long he never expected to be uncomfortable without Ava's constant, inane chattering.

He walked into the bar and flagged down Trudy before tossing a bag of caps on the counter and walking over to the jukebox. He set himself at a table next to it and listened to Dean Martin croon softly. Trudy set a bottle of whiskey and a glass down in front of him.

"Just keep em coming, Trudy," he said softly. As the bartender walked away he filled his glass.

"Here's to you, Ava."

**May 11, 2280**

**22:00**

**Goodsprings, Nevada**

**The Prospector Saloon**

Ava walked lightly into the bar. She was dressed in a faded Vault 21 jumpsuit she'd borrowed from Doc Mitchell (her stealth suit smelt like a combination of sweat and death). He'd told her the suit was her grandmother's. While it felt weird to be in a Vault suit again she couldn't help, but marvel at having something belonging to her grandmother.

The very idea of grandparents had never occurred to her until now. Now she had a grandfather.

She found Knox leaning back in a chair, lazily watching a game of pool progress. An empty bottle of whisky sat next to his cowboy hat. He'd tossed his gloves inside his hat and was nursing his final glass of alcohol. She sat down next to him.

He gave her a small smile and cast a critical eye up and down her.

Honestly?

She looked terrible. Her hair was sticking up all over the place, her eyes were red and puffy, and tears stains streaked across her face.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself," he returned, tossing back the last of his drink.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, both watching the game of pool. A woman with bright red hair was currently taking a young man for all he was worth. The poor fool kept going double or nothing.

"We… talked, Mitchell and me. I told him everything," Ava said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Everything?"

"More than I've told you," she clarified.

Knox set his empty glass on the table. "How'd he take it?"

Ava's eyes broke away from the game and she looked at Knox. "He hugged me again," she said with a small smile. "I don't know what I expected. I guess… I thought he would scream and shout and throw me out. I just… that's the only way I thought it could end. How fucked up is that?"

Knox gave no reply, but he did look away from the pool table and met Ava's eyes.

"We just talked and he held me."

"Good," Knox said gently. "I'm glad. Looks like you've got some family again."

"I-… I know, but friends are family right?" She nudged Knox with her elbow and gave him a grin.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close in a one armed hug. "Sure they are." The two leaned back against the wall and went back to watching the game of pool quietly.

"You're good family, Knox."

"You too, Ava."

"Thanks."

Knox chuckled and scratched his chin, wincing as the woman sunk another ball at the pool table. "How many times do I have to insist that it's all just a job? _No thank you's_."

Ava shrugged under Knox's arm. "Heart of gold, Knox, heart of gold." She knocked her fingers against his chest plate over his heart.

Knox swatted her hand up and rose to his feet as the eight ball was sunk. "Yeah, yeah, throw my words back at me why don't you? I… am going to get another drink. And you… you should go back up to Doc Mitchell's. You've been with me for long enough. Go on now!"

Ava allowed herself to be pulled to her feet by the Courier. She walked over to door and gave him a wave.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Knox assured. "I still have to be paid you know."

Ava rolled her eyes and exited the saloon.

Knox watched her go before stumbling over to the bar.

"Trudy! More whiskey, if you would."

**May 12, 2280**

**10:00**

**Nevada**

**Goodsprings**

"I believe that's your price isn't it?"

Doc Mitchell deposited a hefty bag of caps in Knox's outstretched hand. They were standing on Doc Mitchell's porch. Ava sat off to the left on a chair, watching the proceedings keenly. Knox quickly dropped the caps into his satchel and stepped back off the porch into the dirt walk.

"Though, honestly," Mitchell continued, "I'd expect a cross country journey to have cost me more."

Knox grinned and tipped his hat in respect. "It's the "you saved my life" discount." Mitchell snorted dismissively.

Ava raised her eyebrows. "Do I get that discount?"

First you have to save me more than I've saved you," Knox teased.

Ava shook her head irritably and looked away. It wasn't Knox's usual banter that was getting to her. It was that he was leaving. Finding Mitchell and losing Knox. It was a shitty trade. Knox watched Ava for a few more seconds, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Well, with pay squared away I guess I'll be headed out." He turned to Mitchell. "Always a pleasure, Doc. Ava… I guess..." Knox sighed. Ava still wasn't looking at him. Knox gave Mitchell a sad smile and a slight wave and turned to walk away.

"Now, hold on a second," Mitchell called after him. "Aren't you forgetting something? Or someone rather."

Knox whirled around in time with Ava cranking her neck around to look at her grandfather.

"What!?" she practically yelled in confusion.

Mitchell smiled down at her in the chair. "Go on, sweetheart. I know you can't just stay here."

The familiar nickname that her father used to call her rebounded off Ava's ears as she sat stunned. Go?

"I- but- No! You just- We just found each other! You just found me! I just met you! I can't leave!"

Mitchell knelt down next to her slowly, easing himself down onto his aged knees. "Oh yes you can. I'm an old man, Ava. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Go live it."

"But-" Ava tried to protest, standing up next to Mitchell.

"But," he said, catching ahold of her shoulder, "you're going to come back and visit your granddad occasionally. And you're going to be safe out there. Anytime you feel the need, you come back here."

Ava looked at her grandfather dumbstruck. "Thank you," she said weakly. "Thank you so much."

Doc Mitchell held his arms open and Ava threw herself into them, burying her face in his chest.

"Hey now," Mitchell said, "No more tears from you. You've done enough crying."

Ava sniffled loudly before looking up at him and nodding her head. "No more tears," she agreed. She turned to Knox with a wide grin and dashed back into the house. Knox and Mitchell could hear her racing around inside gathering supplies and gear.

Mitchell turned to Knox. "You take care of her, you hear?"

"That one doesn't need any taking care of," he said quietly, so Ava wouldn't hear, "but I'll watch her back."

Mitchell nodded in acceptance as Ava sprang out the door, slinging Perforator and sliding Clarity into her belt as she did. She wrapped her arms around Mitchell one last time before jumping down the steps next to Knox.

"So… where are we going?"

"It's time to get back to work," Knox said. "We're going to New Vegas."

Mitchell groaned in mock horror. "You're taking my granddaughter to that place? Oh my poor heart."

"I'll be careful," Ava assured him. "I promise."

Mitchell chuckled. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Me too," muttered Knox. "You're normally a walking hazard. Having you be careful could be very beneficial to my health."

Ava tried to slug Knox in the shoulder, but he spun out of the way, causing her to nearly overbalance and topple over.

"Come on, Ava! It's time to hit the road. New Vegas? Here we come!"

Doc Mitchell stood on his porch watching the Courier and his granddaughter walk out of Goodsprings and towards New Vegas. What a whirlwind that kid was. He smiled happily to himself. Waiting for Knox to return with news of his family had been hard and all the harder as he began to lose hope, but seeing his granddaughter and the strong young woman she was made his chest swell with pride and happiness.

And seeing her walk out of town with the Courier, the man who'd undoubtedly done more to put her back together than he'd ever likely know was enough to put any fears to rest.

Ava had made it and she finally had found a home. Doc Mitchell was smart enough to know that her home might not always be in Goodsprings, but she still had one.

A home at the side of a Courier named Knox.

**End of Part 2. To be continued in Part 3: Dead Man's Hand**

**EPILOGUE:** Chet stood on his porch sweeping the day's dust and dirt away. The sun was setting and it was almost time to close up. Business had been slow except when that courier had come in to stock up on supplies. Oh well, at least he'd bought a lot.

"Evenin' Partner!"

Chet groaned at the sound of the overly chipper mechanical voice. He looked up from his broom as a large robot trundled forward on a single wheel. Displayed on the screen mounted in its chest was the face of a cartoon cowboy.

"Victor… what a pleasant surprise."

The sarcastic tone was lost on the robot however; as the robot instead reached one of its pincers forward to pry open the Mojave Express mail box on the porch. With its other it reached in to deposit a parcel.

"You know you just missed a courier. The one you dug out of a grave actually."

The pincer froze and the machine seemed to be thinking. Chet mentally kicked himself. Processing, not thinking. The pincer snaked back to his side.

"Really, now partner? You don't say? And he didn't come to say hi to his old pal, Victor?"

"I guess not," replied Chet, "You still need that package delivered?"

The robot shifted and quickly dropped the package in a storage bin in its back. "Package?"

"I- what? Yes, the package you had."

The robot said nothing until… "Well, howdy, partner!"

"Goddamn it," muttered Chet and went back to his sweeping.

The cartoon cowboy just stared at him for a few moments before rolling away. Far across the Mojave a robot of the same build stood under flickering neon lights. Displayed on its face was a police officer. The robot shuddered and the cowboy appeared on it. It whirled around and rolled to the front door of a large shining building rising high into the sky. It rolled in and to an elevator before ascending the tower.

The elevator doors dinged open and it entered a large empty room dominated by a giant monitor.

"Mr. House, sir. It seems our favorite Courier has returned to the Mojave."

"Has he now?" a voice ghosted out through the speakers in the room. "Then I suppose it's time to start putting everything in motion. Thank you, Victor. It's due past time Mr. Knox returned. Work needs to be done. Vegas won't rebuild itself. Not if Caesar and that buffoon Oliver have anything to say about it. Mr. Knox has his work cut out for him. I do hope he finds himself up to the job."

"I surely think he will," Victor replied to the room. "He's a crafty sort that Mr. Knox."

Light white noise spilled from the speakers just like someone lightly laughing to himself.

"A crafty sort indeed, Victor. Why do you think I hired him?"

_And thus we close on Frontier Dreaming. Fear not! We return in Dead Man's Hand, the first chapter of which is already uploaded. So go nuts and jump right over to it. I do however have one final request to make of you. A review giving your final impressions on Frontier Dreaming would be so greatly appreciated. Bits you liked, bits you loved, what have you. Now that you have the full story I'd love to hear your thoughts. So please, I implore you, leave a review for me._


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